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Placing Himself Before Them He Drew His Sword. 



The Maid of Bocasse 


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MAY HALSEY MILLER 

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AUTHOR OF 
RAOUL AND IRON HAND’ 


Illustrated by Warren B. Davis 



G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS NEW YORK 

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46592 


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Copyright entry 

SECOND COPY. 

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SEP 15 1900 






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Copyright, 1899-1900, by 
MAY HALSEY MILLER 


Copyright, 1900, by 
G. W. DILLINGHAM CO. 



74648 


INTRODUCTION. 


The Age of the Black Prince is one of the most 
fascinating periods of history. The times were so 
full of daring, adventure, and the display of physical 
prowess that they seem to belong by right to the 
romance writer, for romance is often more faithful to 
the spirit of the age than is so-called history. The 
social life of modem times is embodied in fiction; 
that of the past ages is embodied in romance, its 
characters being no less real because they present 
types instead of individuals. 

The historical characters introduced in “ The Maid 
of Bocasse" are presented with historical fidelity, no 
liberties being taken with dates or facts. Two heroic 
figures stand out in bold relief during the closing 
years of chivalry, an institution that had then served 
its purpose, and from which its strength had de- 
parted, while its weakness remained. The great 
characters, towering head and shoulders above their 
contemporaries, are Edward Prince of Wales, known 
as the Black Prince, and Bertrand du Guesclin, the 
gallant Breton knight. One typifies the outgoing age 
with its apotheosis of physical strength and deeds of 


VI 


INTRODUCTION. 


valor; the other, the new order that the invention 
of gunpowder inaugurated, when strategy over- 
matched valor, and the rank and file began to rise 
steadily in importance. 

If sometimes the scenes appear improbable, it 
must be remembered that the achievements of to- 
day would seem not merely improbable but actually 
impossible to the actors in the dramas of the Middle 
Ages. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. — The SoRCiiiRE, 11 

II. — The Interview, 24 

III. — The Maiden Knight, 87 

IV. — The Prisoner of Bocasse, . , . . 61 

V. — Sir Bertrand du Guesclin, ... 67 

VI. — The Rescue, 82 

VII. — At the Court of Bourdeaux, ... 94 

VIII.— The Surprise, 113 

IX. — From Bocasse to Limoges, . . . .131 

X.— Back to Bocasse, 151 

XI. — At Saint Brice, 167 

XII. — The Fight for the Treasure, . . . 182 

XIII. — Mahmoud the Moor, 194 

XIV. — The Escape, 206 

XV.— The Pursuit 220 

XVI. — The Red Knight’s Vengeance, . . 231 

XVII. — On to Saint Brice, 246 

XVIII.— At Limoges, 264 

XIX.— A Stormy Interview, 275 

XX. — The White Knight 286 

XXI. — Limoges Avenged, 294 

XXII. — The Encounter 304 

XXIII.— At Bocasse Once More, . . . .313 

XXIV.— Conclusion, 324 


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, 


“Placing Himself Before Them He Drew His Sword,” 

Frontispiece. 

“ Sir Gaston Beheld the Tall Figure of a Spirit Form 

Poised Lightly on a Projecting Crag Above Him,” 78 

“Down. Went His Assailants, One After Another, be- 
fore the Sweep of That Mighty Arm, ” . . . 108 

“ Messire Bonciel Seized His Lady’s Bridle Rein and, 
Putting Spurs to His Horse, Galloped Away at Full 
Speed,” 128 



THE MAID OF BOCASSE 


CHAPTEE I. 

THE SORCIERE. 

The market-place was astir with excitement. 
Groups of men and women were discussing with 
great volubility and exuberance of gesture some 
affair of unusual interest. 

“ She is a sorcilre ! ” exclaimed a young girl called 
Toinette, whose black eyes gleamed brightly from 
under her dark capote, while the rich crimson of her 
vest vied in color with the glowing tint of cheeks 
and lips. " It is she who has brought this plague 
upon us ! ” 

“ Hist ! ” whispered an older woman. “ She will 
hear thee, the old witch ! Then thou’lt find thyself 
bewitched.” 

“There have been four more deaths since mid- 
night. She has laid us under the spell of her evil 
eye ! ” exclaimed a burly peasant, pushing back his 
beret and crossing himself. 


12 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


Just then the shrill piping voice of a child broke 
in: 

“ Only last night it was I who met her on the hill- 
side when I went to fetch the cows. She did not 
see me ; for I hid and watched her while she whis- 
pered her spells over the devil’s herbs which she 
carried in her arms.” 

But the child was unceremoniously thrust aside 
by a handsome peasant with flashing eyes, and 
soft black hair that fell upon his neck in wavy 
masses. 

“ She is a wehr-wolf ! ” he hissed. “ It is she who 
slays our sheep in order to gorge herself with their 
blood ! ” His tones were suppressed, and the peas- 
ants crowded more- closely about him, their faces 
eager with fearsome curiosity. 

“ Tell us ! Tell us ! ” they whispered. 

Casting a searching glance about him, and meet- 
ing only familiar faces, Martin spoke in tones so low 
that those on the outer edge of the circle cried: 
"Louder!” 

“It was this way,” he began. "My lord count 
went hunting not many days since ; and as no man 
knows about the haunts of wolf and bear so well as 
I, not even the head gamekeeper,” and his head 
went back and his breast swelled with conscious su- 
periority, " messire took me with him. I was ahead, 
my lord closely following, on the way up the moun- 
tainside, when suddenly a wolf, with eyes that 


THE SORCIERE. 


13 


gleamed like pine knots, stood facing us. Quicker 
than thought she sprang up on to my lord’s horse 
and in an instant would have dug her horrid white 
fangs into his throat had he not stopped her by 
plunging his dagger into her shoulder. With a cry 
of pain like a woman’s moan, she slipped down from 
the horse to the ground and gazed upward at my 
lord count with tears streaming from her eyes and 
the blood flowing from the wound in her shoulder. 
Then she suddenly disappeared, and I heard the rus- 
tling of a woman’s skirts.” His tones grew more 
suppressed, the peasants crowded about him still 
closer to catch his words, while he peered uneasily 
around him. Then he continued in a sibilant whis- 
per: 

“ When we got back to the chateau we found there 
a great commotion, for Nurse Alinore had been dis- 
covered lying unconscious on the floor of one of the 
store-rooms, with a gaping wound in her shoulder 
from which the blood was freely flowing. When 
they brought her to, she said she had been reaching 
upward while standing on a bench, and losing her 
balance, had fallen on to a platter which she was 
holding in her hand and cut herself with the broken 
pieces. But it is we who know. She had returned 
to the chateau unseen, had gone into the store-room 
for some unguent to put on her wound, and had 
fainted from loss of blood.” And he nodded his 
head with a most sagacious air. 


14 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“But why should Nurse Alinore attack our lord, 
who is so good to us all ? ” asked a lad. 

“ Because of what happened before thou wert born,” 
answered an elderly woman. “’Tis said my lord 
loved her before he married madame. It is true, 
madame has always treated her coldly, though mes- 
sire compelled her to permit Nurse Alinore to become 
the foster-mother of our damozel.” 

“Has she, then, a husband? ” 

“She was married at the same time as messire, 
but her man went away to some war and never re- 
turned, while her babe died at birth two days after 
the birth of our damozel.” 

“ Ah, but she is a sorceress, for I know that she 
can take on all kinds of forms and shapes, as well 
as make herself invisible. Just before my Margot 
died ” The woman stopped, for no one was lis- 

tening to her, as at that moment a slight figure was 
seen running toward the group from the direction 
of the chateau upon the hill. It was a demoiseau, 
or page, from the castle. He would have pushed 
his way through the crowd on the market-place, but 
many hands were put out to detain him. 

“What is it, demoiseau? ” cried several voices at 
once. 

“Messire and madame have just died, and I go 
for the lady abbess to comfort our demoiselle,” he 
answered hastily. Wrenching himself free from 
their grasp, he ran across the square in the direction 


THE SORCIERE. 


15 


of the convent, whose walls reared themselves at 
the other end of the market-place. 

" The witch ! The witch ! ” broke from a hundred 
lips as the boy disappeared. Then, as if by precon- 
certed action, the crowd of men and women turned 
toward the chateau and rushed up the hillside that 
led to the gates. Across the drawbridge, under the 
arched entrance, they ran, all animated by a single 
thought — ^to wreak vengeance upon her who had 
wrought this mischief. Through the vaulted gate- 
way, across the courtyard, into the great kitchen 
they rushed, shrieking : 

" The witch ! The witch ! Death to the witch ! ” 

In the kitchen was the tall, slight figure of a seem- 
ingly old woman, who stood bending over a kettle 
suspended from a crane, imder which a fire crackled 
and blazed. She was in the act of raising the lid 
from the pot as the peasants rushed into the room. 

“ Stew her in her devil’s broth ! ” exclaimed Martin. 

In an instant the woman comprehended the situ- 
ation. She, the doctress of the chtoau and its de- 
pendents, was considered accountable for the epi- 
demic that was raging in the southern part of French 
Navarre, where the chateau and town of Bocasse 
were situated. There were only the scullions and 
kitchen servants at hand, who fled to one corner 
of the room before the mad rush of the infuriated 
peasants. 

Dipping her ladle into the boiling, seething mix- 


16 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


ture, the uncanny woman held it before her, saying 
in a shrill voice : 

“ He who but lays a finger on me will receive this 
ladleful of broth ! Woe to him it touches, for it will 
burn into his very vitals ! ” 

The peasants shrank back, for the moment cowed. 
Martin, however, soon recovered his courage, and 
moving stealthily behind, dashed the ladle from her 
hand, at the same time seizing her about the body 
and pinning her arms to her side. The woman gave 
a loud shriek. The crowd rushed upon her, their 
cries dominating hers. The uproar was deafening. 

Unheeded, a young girl had entered the door at 
the farther end of the apartment and stood gazing 
with wondering eyes upon the scene of confusion, 
when she caught sight of the old woman struggling 
in the grasp of the peasant. Giving a loud cry, she 
sprang into the midst of the crowd. Instinctively 
they gave place to the demoiselle of the chateau. 
Obeying her imperative gesture, Martin released the 
old woman, who tottered, and would have fallen had 
not the yoimg girl supported her with her arm. 
Tall, divinely tall and fair, the girl looked as she 
stood there in her flowing robes of white, one arm 
about the waist of Nurse Alinore, the other hand 
pointing with a commanding gesture to the peasants, 
her eyes flashing with indignation, her tones ringing 
with righteous anger. 

"Cowards! Why do you come to a house of 


THE SORCIERE. 17 

mourning to attack a defenceless old woman who 
has done naught but good to you all? ” 

For an instant the peasants stood abashed under 
the fire of those flashing eyes. Then Toinette, ad- 
vancing a few steps, said deprecatingly : 

“ Pardon, damozel, but she is a sorceress, and her 
touch carries mischief.” 

“ Her touch bring mischief to me ! To me, whom 
she has tended all these years ! ” 

“And killed madame your mother and messire 
your father,” muttered Martin. 

“Who said that? ” demanded the girl, hotly. 

“ It was I, damozel ; for did I not see her in the 
very act of springing upon my lord ? ” At these words 
the suspended fury of the peasants burst forth anew. 

“Kill her! Death to the sorceress! She will 
also harm our damozel!” cried a dozen voices, and 
a dozen hands tried to drag Nurse Alinore from out 
the protecting clasp of Lady Yvette’s arms. Fran- 
tic, helpless, desperate, she struggled with the almost 
maniacal peasants. “To the rescue! To the res- 
cue ! ” she cried. “ Henry ! Antoine ! Frangois !” 

As if in response to this despairing and desperate 
cry, there came a clanking of steel and a jingling of 
spurs. Then was heard a stentorian voice, which 
thundered out: 

“ Halte-la ! What are you doing ? ” 

The newcomer caught sight of Lady Yvette’s face. 
Hurling himself against the struggling mass of hu- 
2 


18 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


man forms, he thrust the peasants to the right and 
left, and in a trice was beside the frantic girl who 
was trying to ward off their attacks from the body 
of the now unconscious woman who lay at her feet. 
Placing himself before them both, he drew his sword 
and charged upon the peasants, driving them across 
the courtyard, through the archway, over the bridge, 
and then bado the warden shut the gate. 

Meanwhile Lady Yvette called to the frightened 
kitchen maids and bade them tenderly lift her old 
nurse and carry her to her chamber. In her distress. 
Lady Yvette had scarcely noticed the stranger who 
had come so opportunely to her aid. 

By this time some of the guards of the chateau 
made their appearance, and the young chatelaine told 
them in future to attend more faithfully to their 
duties. Even the dreadful calamity that had just 
befallen did not afford excuse for failure in the per- 
formance of duty. 

When the • stranger returned from driving the 
peasants out of the chateau, he found in the kitchen 
plenty of servitors, but no Lady Yvette. 

"Where is Messire de Bocasse?” he inquired. 
"How is it that the gates are unguarded, and that 
the young lady should be in so great peril?” He 
spoke as one accustomed to command. 

There is no longer a lord of Bocasse,” sadly re- 
plied the captain of the guard, whom the disturbance 
had brought to the scene. 


THE SORCIERE. 


19 


“ No longer a lord of Bocasse ! ” repeated the stran- 
ger knight. “Him have I come to see.” 

“ Until this very morning was there a lord, also a 
lady ; now there is none but the Lady Yvette.” 

“ Some sudden calamity, messire ? ” 

“ Even so. Sir Knight ; for in one hour have both 
our lord and lady died. It is indeed a house of 
mourning to which messire has come.” 

“ Accept my sympathy, messire. But I have come 
on a mission of great importance to the Count of 
Bocasse from his royal highness the Prince of Aqui- 
taine.” 

“Ah, Sir Knight, heavy indeed is our affliction 
that there should be no longer a lord of Bocasse,” 
was the sorrowful response. 

“Indeed were that a sad pity.” 

“ The Lady Yvette is now the only representative 
of the noble and ancient house of Bocasse.” 

“Do daughters inherit in Navarre?” asked the 
knight, in surprise; for in the kingdom of France, 
of which at that time Navarre formed no part, an 
estate reverted to the overlord at the ^death of all 
male issue. 

“That is as the king wills,” was the reply. 

The dinner hour was at hand. In spite of the 
tragical events of the morning, the meal was spread 
as usual on a long table in the centre of the ban- 
queting hall. 

“ Messire will not depart without accepting the 


20 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


hospitality of Bocasse ? ” asked the captain of the 
guard. 

The stranger knight hesitated a moment, then ac- 
cepted the invitation to remain to dinner, for he was 
curious to see more of the menage of Bocasse. The 
officers of the household, the waiting-women, the 
squires, and pages took their respective places. At 
the head of the board were three empty chairs. Two 
of the usual occupants were now no more, while the 
third, Lady Yvette, remained in the seclusion of her 
chamber. The stranger knight was accorded the 
seat of honor, being of the highest rank of all pres- 
ent, as could be seen by the splendor of his apparel, 
and who had announced himself to be Messire d’Am- 
bricicourt, of the suite of the Black Prince, the Duke 
of Aquitaine. 

Hardly had they begun to eat when the clatter of 
horse-hoofs was heard in the courtyard. Presently 
there appeared in the hall the lady abbess, attended 
by Raimond, one of the pages of the late lord of 
Bocasse. As she entered, all arose and stood silent 
while she murmured a blessing and passed through 
the apartment on her way to the Lady Yvette. 

While Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt was eating and 
drinking, he deplored within himself that so fair a 
fief should be without a lord. Then there entered 
his head an idea that was long in departing there- 
from. 

On rising from the table at the conclusion of the 


THE SORCIERE. 


21 


meal, he called for his horse, after bidding the cap- 
tain of the guard inform the chatelaine that he would 
return later to pay his respects and to acquaint her 
with his mission from the puissant Lord of Aqui- 
taine. Then, accompanied by his attendants, he 
rode out the castle gates. 

The Gascon knight made his way down the hill- 
side into the town, on through its tortuous narrow 
streets to the market-place, beyond which was the 
inn where he lodged, and which lay under the 
shadow of the large carven portals of the great 
Gothic church that was the pride of the town of 
Bocasse. He rode slowly, for the bustle of the 
market-place on market day diverted his thoughts. 
He stopped ever and anon to say a chaffing word to 
the pretty peasant girls, whose dark skirts and cap- 
otes and gayly colored vests, with the adornment 
of many-hued ribbons, gave a picturesque character 
to the ever-shifting groups about the stalls on that 
bright September day. 

Presently a particularly comely face attracted his 
attention. It was that of Toinette, whom he recog- 
nized at once. The recognition was mutual. At 
first the girl shrank back as if in fear. However, 
on seeing no anger in his face, but, instead, admira- 
tion for her striking beauty, she pouted a little and 
held up the hem of her short upper skirt to a scratch 
on her cheek that she had received in the recent 
skirmish. 


22 


THE MAH) OP BOCASSE. 


Dismounting, Messire d’Ambricicouit approadied 
the girl, and taking away the hand that held the 
skirt, he lightly touched with his lips the cheek 
that had received the wound. 

“ VoUa, it is well now, is it not, petite F he said. 
“ Thou shouldst not mingle with so clownish a set 
and run the risk of marring thy pretty face.* 

“Ah, messire knows not what he has done this 
day,* she replied, with a coquettish upward glance. 

“How so, my pretty one? " 

“ Messire cannot know that Nurse Alinore is a 
sorceress, and has worked her evil spells upon us, 
and has caused our dear hcaiored lord and lady to 
die this very day. Mon dieu, the next to suffer 
will be our damozel, whom we all love.* 

“NomdudiahU! Was it a witch I rescued? * he 
exdaimed ruefully. “ It was in the service of the 
fair demoiselle that I thought to wield my sword so 
lustily.* 

“ Messire has in truth done ill,* returned Toinette, 
writh another upward glance into the handsouae face 
leaning over her; “for he has left our damozel in 
deadly danger.* 

“Then will this be the swOTd that shall succor 
her!* To the disappointment of Toin^te, he re- 
mounted without taking further notice of her, and 
clattered up the street. Busy were his thcmghts. 
Fortune came only to him who sought it. The do- 
main of Bocasse was without a lead; the Sieur 


THE SOECIEEB. 


23 


d’AmlHiciconrt was without a fief worthy his deserts. 
The maid was in need of a protector. Was erer fate 
more propitioas? He would succor the maid, win 
her, grnd takft the domain. The idea recommended 
itself so powerfuUy to his hmnor that he then and 
titere Towed the lady and estate should have a lord, 
and that right ^teedil j. 


CHAPTEE II. 


THE INTERVIEW. 

To see a handsomer man than Gaston d’Ambrici- 
court, a Gascon knight attached to the court of the 
Black Prince at Bordeaux, one would have to travel 
far and long. Born of a Gascon father and an Eng- 
lish mother, he inherited the type of both nations so 
combined as to produce a specimen of remarkable 
physical beauty. His magnificent physique and 
clear, smooth skin gave evidence of his English 
ancestry ; while his dark hair and eyes, the 
brunette tinge of his complexion, showed his 
Southern blood. 

So accustomed was the handsome knight to excit- 
ing the admiration of the fair sex that he accepted 
it as his just due, and thought but little of a lady’s 
favor ; for favors lightly won are lightly worn. His 
patrimony being small, he had become a knight of 
fortune and had attached himself to the court at 
Bordeaux, hoping to win both fortune and renown. 
Eenown was already his, but fortune still eluded him ; 
for no matter what baron, knight, or squire he over- 
came on the battlefield and made his captive, the 


THE INTERVIEW. 25 

ransom was soon lost at dice, in handsome apparel 
for himself and rich accoutrements for his steeds. 

The days that followed his first visit to the cha- 
teau passed slowly enough. There were no pastimes 
such as engaged the attention of a valiant lord, only 
dice ; nor were there those who could put up stakes 
worth the winning. Twice did Sir Gaston send a 
squire to the castle beseeching an audience with its 
lovely chatelaine; twice was answer returned that 
Lady Yvette was yet in seclusion. However, there 
came the day when the lady sent word that she 
would receive the Gascon knight the following 
morning. 

Sir Gaston d’Amhricicourt donned his richest ap- 
parel. Knightly indeed did he appear in his crim- 
son velvet doublet, crimson trunks, long silken hose, 
crimson capote from which floated a long white 
feather, and white silk mantle, embroidered in crim- 
son and gold, which w'as suspended from one shoul- 
der. His coal-black charger was caparisoned also in 
crimson and white with gold broideries. Followed 
by his small retinue. Sir Gaston rode up to the gate 
of the chateau, where he was received with fitting 
formality. He was conducted up the broad stairway 
to a large vaulted oak-panelled apartment. At the 
upper end was a dais. On it stood the Lady Yvette 
clad in flowing robes of white silk, her long fair hair 
braided with ribbons and pearls, and falling in two 
broad braids on either side of her face. Stately as 


26 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


a young queen she stood awaiting the approach of 
the knight, who strode with confident mien and up- 
lifted head toward the dais. The heart of the maid 
beat a little faster as she noted the beauty of his 
face and the elegance of his figure. 

On reaching the foot of the dais he bowed low; 
and then drawing himself up to his full height, met 
the glance of those beautiful fearless eyes that were 
on a level with his own on account of the slight 
elevation of the platform on which she stood. 

"Madame,” he began, "his royal highness, the 
most noble and puissant Lord of Aquitaine, has sent 
me to the late lord, your father, to request his good 
services with his majesty, the King of Navarre, in 
whose favor he is known to have stood high.” 

The Lady Yvette bowed her head courteously, as 
she answered : 

" Gladly would my father have served the Lord of 
Aquitaine had he lived. But what was it that his 
highness would have had him do? ” 

" Dear my lady, there are matters of great import 
now astir. His gracious majesty, Don Pedro of 
Leon and Castile, has been deposed by his brother, 
Don Henry of Transtamare, who has risen in open 
rebellion against his brother and lawful king, com- 
pelling him with his two daughters, most lovely 
princesses, to appeal to the chivalry of the Black 
Prince for succor. Him has the powerful prince de- 
cided to replace on his throne. His message to the 


THE INTERVIEW. 


27 




late Lord of Bocasse was beseeching his good services 
with the King of Navarre that he will hold to the 
treaty that has already been drawn between them.” 

“It is true that his majesty held my dear father 
in high esteem; still, the king in matters pertaining 
to his kingdom decides for himself. Why did not 
the noble j)rince send to him rather than to the late 
lord, my father? ” 

“ It is well to have a friend at court, dear my 
lady. Fair are the promises of his majesty, but — ” 
he hesitated. 

“The memory of princes is short,” she completed 
his sentence. 

“Madame has said it.” 

“ It were a pity that my father had not lived, for 
more than one reason,” and the lovely eyes filled 
with tears that were hastily brushed away. Then 
with a wave of her hand, as if to dismiss the sub- 
ject, Lady Yvette smiled charmingly upon the 
knight, and said : 

“ Our thanks are owing you. Sir Knight, for the 
timely assistance tendered us a day not so long 
passed. Without your aid might my good nurse 
have been roughly handled before the guard could 
have been summoned.” 

The knight took the slender white hand extended 
toward him and raised it to his lips. 

“Would I could have done a million times as 
much to serve so fair a lady,” he murmured. 


28 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


The young chatelaine quickly withdrew her hand, 
a soft flush suffusing her beautiful face. She 
clapped her hands twice or thrice, and attendants at 
once appeared bearing great covered platters which 
they placed upon the damask-covered oaken table at 
the lower end of the long apartment. At a gesture 
from the lady, the knight took her hand and led her 
down the length of the chamber. Eaimond carried 
her train, and stood behind her highbacked chair 
while she ate. The other members of the household 
seated themselves at table according to their rank 
after the lady had taken her place at the board with 
the knight at her right hand. 

Gracious indeed was the Lady of Bocasse to the 
envoy of the Black Prince, who exerted all his 
charms of manner, all his power to fascinate, in 
order to win the heart of the chatelaine of the fair 
domain of Bocasse. 

In spite of her recent affliction and the deep grief 
felt at the loss of her parents. Lady Yvette acted her 
part of gracious lady of the castle most potently; so 
that before he left that board, the knight’s heart, as 
well as his ambition, was deeply concerned, and high 
were his hopes as he wended his way back from the 
chateau to the gloomy inn under the shadow of the 
great Gothic towers of the church. Plainly had he 
been shown that his visit was not unwelcome, and 
determined was he that it should be oft repeated be- 
fore he returned to Aquitaine. 


THE INTERVIEW. 


Feeling in no mood to remain within doors, he 
changed his raiment, and taking with him a single 
squire rode off for a swift gallop over the hills. On 
his return, he overtook a girl driving homeward two 
cows. The poise of the head seemed familiar, and 
glancing downward into the face at his side, he met 
the coquettish glance of Toinette, whose cheeks took 
on a brighter hue at the sight of the handsome 
knight. He slackened his pace and walked his 
horse beside her, talking lightly as they went. 

“So pretty a maid has many lovers,” he said. 

Toinette tossed her head, but made no other 
answer. 

“Ah, none of them suit thy fancy? ” 

“That may be, and yet it may not,” she replied 
with a pout of her pretty lips. 

“ Tell me, little one, if thou hast a liking for any 
lad, and when I am Lord of Bocasse, he shall not 
come to thee empty-handed.” 

Toinette looked up into his face in surprise. In- 
terpreting her glance, he asked : 

“ Is there aught about me that should not please 
the lady?” Then taking a coin from his pouch he 
slipped it into her hand and bade her buy herself 
some trinket at the next fair; but, to Toinette’s dis- 
appointment, he made no effort ^to kiss her, as on 
the previous occasion. 

As the Lady Yvette laid herself down to sleep 
that night her thoughts were full of the stranger 


30 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


knight. Loquacious had been his attendants among 
the maid’s servitors, loud had been their vaunts of 
his prowess, and of his position at the court of the 
chivalrous^ Black Prince. These stories had been 
repeated to some of her women, one of whom repeated 
them to her lady when assisting at her disrobing for 
the night. Never had the young girl beheld so 
handsome a knight. Valiant and gallant, why 
should he not please a maid’s fancy? There is no 
saying what might have happened had not Toinette 
repeated Sir Gaston’s promise to her when he should 
become Lord of Bocasse to one of her lovers, who 
chanced to be a brigand in the service of Lady 
Yvette. He repeated the words with sundry addi- 
tions to one of the serving maids ; who in turn re- 
peated them to one of the waiting-women, whose 
curiosity was aroused to so high a pitch that she 
adroitly questioned her lady, thinking that the mar- 
riage might already be arranged. 

Now the Lady Yvette, though young in years, 
was most jealous of her prerogatives as Lady of Bo- 
casse ; and no sooner had she learned that already 
had the stranger knight boasted of his intention to 
become Lord of Bocasse than a great resentment filled 
her heart, and she vowed that knights should be 
shown their proper place by ladies, and one knight 
in particular should learn that he could not have 
everything for the mere asking. 

A day or two later Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt, 


THE INTERVIEW. 


31 


thinking he had given the Lady of Bocasse sufficient 
opportunity to yearn for his presence, again rode up 
the castle hill. At the gate, however, the warden 
informed him that madame had retired to a nunnery 
to pray for the repose of the souls of the late lord 
and lady, madame’s father and mother. 

This information considerably interfered with Sir 
Gaston’s plans. Never had he expected to be balked 
in the very beginning of his suit in this manner. 
If he were not to see the lady, then how was he to 
win her? 

There was no longer any excuse for the Gascon 
knight to remain at Bocasse. He must make his 
way directly to the court of the King of Navarre, 
and try to induce him to embrace the cause of Don 
Pedro instead of that of his brother Henry of Trans- 
tamare, tvhom he was known to favor. 

The very next morning, Messire d’Ambricicourt, 
crestfallen and angry, attended by his small company 
of men-at-arms, set out for the castle where resided 
the Navarrese king. Traversing a gloomy, wooded 
country, diversified by forest ridges, vineyard slopes, 
and patches of bright green meadow land, the Gascon 
knight and his attendants pursued their way until 
evening. 

Darkness coming on, it was necessary to find shel- 
ter for the night. But the squalid villages of 
wretched, rickety, and dirty hovels offered no invit- 
ing refuge to the small company who were accus- 


32 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


tomed to the comfort and even elegance of the Bor- 
deaux court. However, one must eat and sleep, so 
Messire d’Ambricicourt stopped before the least re- 
pulsive-looking of the huts, and demanded entertain- 
ment for the night. 

The interior of the hut was as gloomy as the out- 
side was dingy. It consisted of a large room with 
an earthen floor, and a ceiling of smoke-stained beams 
covered with thatch. The shutters of the unglazed 
windows were closed, and the air within was stifling, 
as the only means of ventilation was the chimney, 
and the only light came from the fire that smoldered 
on the hearth. 

Their entertainment was of the poorest; and even 
that was given grudgingly until the knight showed a 
gold piece and promised it to their peasant host on 
condition that he would do his best for them. At 
the sight of gold the peasant’s manner at once 
changed; he had expected neither payment nor 
thanks, as nobles were accustomed to take what they 
could get from the peasantry, giving in return what 
they would, which was oftenest nothing but kicks 
and curses. He brought from out a hidden recess 
some fairly good wine, and also food which his 
guests could manage to swallow when accompanied 
by copious draughts of the inspiring cordial. 

They were on their way early the next morning, 
and reached their destination that same afternoon. 
On the edge of a rocky hill reared the turrets of the 


THE INTERVIEW. 


33 


castle where the king was for the time lodged. At 
the foot of the hill wound the waters of a forest 
stream, and beyond were the Pyrenees, their sharp, 
sawlike peaks and pinnacles standing out beautifully 
blue, or else purely white with their ice- crowned 
summits, in the bright September sun. 

Ascending the hill, the knight blew a shrill blast 
on his horn as they neared the castle. In a few 
moments the warden appeared in his little tower sur- 
mounting the gates, and demanded the newcomer’s 
business. 

“ I come from the court of Bordeaux with a com- 
munication for his majesty, the King of Navarre,” 
was the reply. 

The gates were opened, and the little cortege passed 
through. Dismounting at the entrance leading to 
the grand staircase, the knight, followed by two of 
his squires, accompanied the warden up the stairs 
through a series of noble state apartments, great 
vaulted chambers carved in oak and hung with tap- 
estries, until they reached the ante-chamber that 
opened into the king’s cabinet. Here one of the 
grooms of the chamber informed the knight that his 
majesty was below in the tennis court, and offered 
to escort him thither. Accepting the invitation, 
the knight was led down a private staircase into 
the tennis court, where his majesty was hotly con- 
testing a game with a gentleman of his suite, the 
Count de Ste. Croix. It was not till the king had 
3 


34 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


thrown down his racquet that he was informed that 
a messenger from the Lord of Aquitaine awaited his 
pleasure. 

“Thou’rt welcome,” said the king graciously. 
“What will his highness, the Lord of Aquitaine, 
have of me? ” But he did not wait for an answer ; 
asking instead : “ Dost play tennis ? ” 

“I thought so, sire, until I witnessed your maj- 
esty’s play,” replied the knight diplomatically. 

“Take a racquet then, and I’ll teach thee.” 

The knight forced the king to play his best, though 
he purposely lost the game. This victory put his 
majesty in an excellent humor, and after supper he 
challenged Sir Gaston to a game of chess. Then 
were served spiced wine, sweet cakes, and comfits, 
after which came the couchert and Sir Gaston d’Am- 
bricicourt had not yet been permitted to broach the 
object of his mission. 

The next day the envoy formally requested an au- 
dience with the king in order to deliver the message 
of his lord, the Prince of Aquitaine. It was gra- 
ciously granted. Then Sir Gaston laid before the 
king the proposition of the Black Prince — that he 
should observe the articles of a previous treaty, in 
which he had agreed to ally himself with the Black 
Prince against his enemies. In accordance there- 
with, the Black Prince called upon his majesty, the 
King of Navarre, to withdraw his support from 
Don Enriquez of Transtamare, and to help reinstate 


THE INTERVIEW. 35 

Don Pedro, the rightful king, on the throne of 
Castile. 

Charles of Navarre demanded time for considera- 
tion, which Sir Gaston was obliged to concede. A 
week passed, and still the answer was delayed. The 
Gascon knight grew impatient, but dared not show 
his irritation, for the character of Charles was well 
known, as he was a faithless friend and a wily foe ; 
but as his kingdom lay between Aquitaine and Cas- 
tile, it was necessary either to conciliate him or in- 
timidate him. 

King Charles apparently was more concerned in 
giving his guest entertainment than satisfaction in 
regard to his mission. He ordered a wolf-hunt and 
a bear-hunt, for the Pyrenees were the haunt of both 
wolf and bear. He arranged for contests at arms 
with the stranger knight and the gentlemen of his 
own court, and devised all manner of diversion for 
the pleasure of his guest, the envoy of the Black 
Prince. 

In all the chivalrous sports of that time Gaston 
proved himself proficient, eliciting the admiration of 
the king himself for his skill in shooting the bow, 
throwing the lance, striding an unruly horse, and in 
the pursuit of wolf and bear. 

"In faith,” said the king, after their return from 
a hunt, "a Gascon like thyself would do better to 
serve under the standard of the King of France or 
under that of myself, the King of Navarre, than un- 


36 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


der that of an English prince. Thou shouldst he a 
man of the mountains rather than a hanger-on at the 
court of Bordeaux. Marry one of the fair maids of 
Navarre, and become a Navarrese lord,” proposed the 
king, half laughingly. 

“Your majesty is pleased to jest,” replied the 
knight. 

“ But no ; even have I a maid in my mind’s eye 
for thee. ’Tis a fair domain of which I am think- 
ing; its lord died without male issue. The fief, 
therefore, reverts to me. Marry the daughter, and 
the fief shall be thine.” 

“Your majesty has but to command," replied Sir 
Gaston, “ though a fief would be more welcome with- 
out the maid than with her. But where may be 
this fair fief and this fair maid ? ” 

“ ’Tis the county of Bocasse and the Lady Yvette,” 
was the unexpected reply. 


CHAPTER III. 


THE MAIDEN KNIGHT. 

At the reply of the king, the heart of the knight 
leaped within him, but fell as heavy as lead on sec- 
ond thought. 

“The lady has already entered a convent, your 
majesty,” he answered dejectedly. 

“ The maid of Bocasse a nun ! ” exclaimed the king. 
“ Nay, she has the making of a valiant knight in her^ 
but of no saint. In throwing a lance, striding a 
horse, or flinging the dart, she is the equal of many 
a knight.” 

“ Still, sire, such was told me by the warden of 
her castle but three days before my arrival here.” 

“ I will send and learn more of this matter,” de- 
clared King Charles. 

So he sent a messenger to Bocasse to inquire con- 
cerning its chatelaine, whether she had indeed en- 
tered a nunnery, and if so, if it were her intention 
to retire permanently from the world. In case she 
found she had no vocation for conventual life, the 
king took pleasure in acquainting her with the fact 
that he had already provided a husband for her ac- 


38 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


ceptance, as gallant a knight as could be found in 
all Navarre, France, and England. The name of 
this gentleman was Gaston, Sieur d’Ambricicourt. 

In four days the messenger returned with the an- 
swer of the Lady of Bocasse. It informed his maj- 
esty that his loyal vassal, the daughter of the late 
Lord of Bocasse, had gone into retreat but tempora- 
rily to pray for the repose of the souls of her dear 
parents. In regard to the new Lord of Bocasse pro- 
posed by his majesty, it must be as his majesty 
willed; yet would she beg to decline an alliance 
with one who changed lieges as one would a doublet 
that no longer served his needs. She was not for 
such a one ; nor was he for her. 

The king repeated the answer to the knight. 

“ And is the Lady of Bocasse a loyal subject to 
refuse to obey her liege, and to insult a true and 
faithful knight? ” inquired Sir Gaston, hotly. 

Again was a messenger despatched to Bocasse. 
This time he bore the ultimatum of her suzerain 
that she must either marry the lord he had provided 
to be her husband or retire permanently into a con- 
vent. 

The reply was as follows : “ The Lady of Bocasse 

commends herself to her very dear and much re- 
doubted lord. Though debarred by reason of her 
sex from being a knight, the Lady of Bocasse can be 
as faithful a vassal and provide as large a company 
of men-at-arms and of archers as could the late lord. 


THE MAIDEN KNIGHT. 


39 


her dear and honored father. For conventual life 
she has found she has no vocation. She can better 
serve her God and her king in the world than out of 
it. The gates of Bocasse are always open to his 
majesty ; but if other than he want the chateau, let 
him come and take it.” 

Instead of being affronted by this defiant reply, 
the king chuckled, and said : 

“The Lady Yvette has the face of an angel, but 
the temper of the devil ! ” 

The knight bit his lips and pulled his beard. To 
be defied by a maid — he, the puissant knight and 
Lord of Ambricicourt — was past enduring ! 

The king enjoyed his discomfiture, and inquired 
half mockingly: 

“What sayest thou. Sir Knight, to this maid’s 
challenge?” 

“Had I a hundred lance, I should seize the 
chateau and make its chatelaine sue for grace.” 

“ I’ll furnish thee with a hundred lance, with pro- 
visions for a month, on condition that thou promise 
not to harm the lady in case thou get possession of 
the castle ; neither must thou lay waste to the county 
of Bocasse.” 

The knight gladly accepted the terms. 

After Lady Yvette had sent back the first message 
to the king containing her refusal of his offer of a 
husband, she had returned to the chateau. On the 
messenger’s second visit, he found her plying the 


40 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


distaff among the women. As soon as she despatched 
her second reply, which amounted to a challenge, 
she ordered her distaff set aside and her tapestry 
frame put away; then summoning the captain of the 
guard, she directed him to put the chateau into a 
state of defence. A few mornings later, when she 
arose from her bed to find a goodly company of men- 
at-arms camped in front of the walls, her first feel- 
ing was one of elation. Here was something to 
keep her thoughts from dwelling too long on her 
recent double affliction. 

The trumpet of the herald told the inhabitants of 
the chateau that the besiegers desired to hold a par- 
ley. Lady Yvette answered the summons herself, 
appearing on the wall beside the warden’s tower in 
her flowing robes of white. 

The herald saluted the lady, and then cried : 

“ Open the gates of Bocasse to the envoy of his 
majesty the King of Navarre ! ” 

“ If his majesty be with you, I beg that he ap- 
proach and receive the homage of his faithful vassal, 
Yvette de Bocasse ! ” rang out the clear, bell-like 
tones of the Maid of Bocasse. 

Then another figure rode out from among the 
company — a tall, commanding figure, whose open 
visor revealed the features of the handsome Gascon 
knight. Bowing low over his horse’s head, he said : 

“ His majesty. King Charles of Navarre, has sent 
me to take possession of Bocasse in his name.” 


THE MAIDEN KNIGHT. 


41 


“The first duty of a loyal knight is obedience. 
Therefore, take possession of the chateau and also of 
its chatelaine — if you can ! ” called out the Maid of 
Bocasse in mocking tones. Saluting him, she dis- 
appeared from the wall. 

She went up to one of the turrets, and from an 
opening watched the preparations for assault. The 
foe had brought with them no besieging apparatus, 
no battering rams, nothing save rafts to cross the 
moat and ladders to scale the walls. 

They were three hundred strong (a lance counted 
from three to five men, generally a knight and two 
squires) ; the besieged had a force one-third as large ; 
therefore, the chatelaine had no fear of the result, 
protected as she was by the strong walls of the 
castle. 

While the enemy were preparing to cross the 
moat, Lady Yvette called the most skilful of her 
archers and bade them shoot their arrows in danger- 
ous proximity to certain of the besiegers but to avoid 
taking life ; for Lady Yvette had all a woman’s hor- 
ror of blood-shedding, though she had resolved to 
defend her inheritance at all hazards. 

Doffing her robes of white, and donning a suit of 
light mail, she again appeared on the wall, and 
awaiting her opportunity, she drew her bow and sent 
her light weight arrow straight toward the Gascon 
knight, striking the lance from his hand. 

Glancing up quickly, he caught sight of the tall. 


42 


THE MAID OF BOCASSB. 


slight figure before she had time to draw back be- 
hind the parapet. If the lady were to engage per- 
sonally in the conflict, it would render the exploit 
more difficult, on account of his promise to conduct 
her unharmed to the king with all the honor due to 
a lady of her high rank. 

The assault on the walls soon followed. Lady 
Yvette had already matured her plans for defence. 
Even the captain of the guard placed himself under 
her orders, for all recognized in her the martial spirit 
of her father. Taking up her position in a watch 
tower, she directed that the archers range themselves 
along the wall and shoot at the assailants, each pick- 
ing out his man. Great caldrons of boiling pitch 
were smoking over fires; tubs of quicklime stood 
ready at hand. No sooner were the scaling-ladders 
in place and the men began swarming up, than ar- 
rows began to fly, and burning pitch and quicklime 
began to pour. 

The besiegers had not expected so active or warm 
a reception. Hastily descending to the ground, they 
seized their ladders and ran around to a distant part 
of the wall; but Messire de Bonciel, captain of the 
guard, as quickly changed his position, and with a 
few of his men effectually disputed the possession of 
that part of the wall. Messire d’Ambricicourt soon 
saw that they were getting the worst of the struggle, 
for at least a dozen of his men-at-arms were seri- 
ously woimded, while twice as many more had suf- 


THE MAIDEN KNIGHT. 


43 


fered more or less from the pitch and quicklime. 
He sounded the recall, and he and his men retired 
to seek refreshment. 

The skirmish had been short, and having been 
commenced soon after sunrise, it was now the din- 
ner-hour. The camp attendants had the meal all 
prepared, and it offered a most welcome diversion 
after the unsuccessful assault. But they were des- 
tined to go dinnerless that day, for no sooner were 
they seated at table than a shower of all sorts of 
missiles rained down upon them, thrown from the 
balisters that had been rigged on top of the walls, 
causing the enemy to scatter in all directions in their 
wild rush to get out of the reach of the engines. 

By this time Messire d’Ambricicourt arrived at 
the conclusion that if he were to take Chateau de 
Bocasse with his present force, it must be either by 
strategy or by starving the inhabitants into sur- 
render. 

When morning broke next day, the watchers of 
the chateau found that the enemy had quietly de- 
camped during the night. Messire de Bonciel shook 
his head on receiving this information. 

“ ’Tis but a feint,” he said. 

He redoubled his watch and bade the men-at-arms 
and archers to sleep by day and to be ready for in- 
stant service at night. 

Events proved the wisdom of this precaution, for 
ere a week went by came the alarm in the dead of 


44 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


night that the chateau was attacked. The night 
was of inky blackness, and a brisk wind was blow- 
ing, so that the movements of the enemy had neither 
been seen nor heard until they were already scaling 
the walls. There ensued a fierce conflict, a hand- 
to-hand fight. In the darkness and confusion friend 
was taken for foe and foe for friend. Loud rang the 
clash of steel and the respective war-cries of the 
combatants, “Navarre! Navarre!” “Bocasse!^ Bo- 
casse ! ” All around the wall the conflict seemed to 
rage; always in the thickest of the fray was heard 
the voice of the Gascon knight. Presently the late 
moon^ rose. The besiegers, seeing that they out- 
numbered the garrison nearly three to one, renewed 
the attack with vigor, and affairs were beginning to 
look desperate for the besieged. 

Lady Yvette had donned her armor and mingled 
in the fight. Suddenly she came upon the Gascon 
knight who seemed to have become separated from 
his followers, for, standing with his back against a 
tower, he was fighting single-handed five or six 
assailants. 

“ Navarre ! Navarre ! ” he cried. “ To the rescue ! ” 

But before any had chance to respond. Lady 
Yvette sprang into the midst of the fighting men, 
and pointing her sword at the knight’s breast, cried : 
“Yield ye, yield ye. Sir Knight! You are my 
prisoner ! ” 

“ By our Lady, no ! ” he exclaimed ; and springing 


THE MAIDEN KNIGHT. 


45 


forward, he pushed his assailants aside, almost 
throwing Lady Yvette, and leaped over the parapet 
on to a scaling-ladder. Quickly descending, he 
sounded the retreat. The midnight assault had not 
been a success. 

Then followed the slow course of a siege. The 
chateau was well victualed; and in very wanton- 
ness Lady Yvette caused a truce to be observed 
while her servitors emerged from the castle gates 
bearing roasted capons, tubs of wine, and other 
delicacies for the table of the knight and his as- 
sociates. 

The month allotted him for the conquest of Cha- 
teau de Bocasse was nearly up. Messire d’Ambri- 
cicourt resolved on another expedient. He caused 
his herald to proclaim the fact that if the chateau 
did not surrender within twenty- four hours the town 
of Bocasse would be sacked and laid in ashes. 

When this message was delivered to the lady of 
the castle she clasped her hands, took a few agitated 
steps, then cried: 

“Ah, the poltroon! He hurts me through my 
people! Send hither Messire de Bonciel.” 

The Lady Yvette was still pacing the floor of her 
cabinet when the captain of the garrison entered. 

“ Hast thou heard ? ” she exclaimed impetuously. 
“ Ah, the poltroons ! ” 

“Eh hieuy madame, all is fair in war. No one 
can justly accuse the puissant Gascon knight of 


46 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


being a coward. But let us consider how we may 
make the cou'p to answer our purpose.” 

“ Have you a plan, Messire de Bonciel ? ” asked 
Lady Yvette eagerly. 

" I have a plan, madame ; but its success depends 
upon communicating with the townspeople,” an- 
swered the captain of the guard. Could I but get 
word with the good people of Bocasse I could ar- 
range a surprise for the knight from Bordeaux.” 

" Could you not make use of Martin ? ” asked the 
lady. 

“ H41as ! no, madame ; he is too heavy in his wits 
and too vain. He would first wish to impress upon 
every one, the enemy included, the importance of 
his mission. I would go myself were I not needed 
here.” 

“ How would you elude the vigilance of the en- 
emy? They have posted sentries all around the 
walls.” 

“I should trust to my wits, madame.” 

There was an interested listener to this confer- 
ence, of whom neither the lady nor the captain took 
any heed. It was the demoiseau Kaimond, who was 
obtaining his nourriture * at Bocasse, a nephew of 
Messire de Bonciel. He was a fine manly youth of 
fifteen awaiting his opportunity to be made a squire. 
He was devoted to his lovely young mistress, the 
chatelaine of Bocasse, with whom he was a great 
♦Chivalric education. 


THE MAIDEN KNIGHT. 


47 


favorite, and who had been giving him a lesson on 
the lute. 

“ Pardon, madame ; but I will elude the guards, 
and carry any instructions you may desire to con- 
vey to the magistrates of the town.” 

Lady Yvette and Messire de Bonciel both glanced 
at the speaker. He had thrown down his lute and 
stood before them, handsome, eager, confident. 

Then Lady Yvette looked inquiringly at the cap- 
tain of the guard, who stood regarding the boy ap- 
provingly. 

"It is strange I did not think of thee, Kaimond,” 
he said. " How wilt thou pass the enemy ? ” 

" They are few, and are at the front and sides of 
the castle. At the back where the rocks are, there 
is no one. They do not think it necessary to watch 
the back where the rocks descend so steeply.” 

"But no one can ascend or descend that sheer 
precipice without cutting steps,” said his uncle. 

"Not unless they know what I know,” replied 
Kaimond. " Lower me in a pannier over the wall, 
and I will do the rest.” 

"What wilt thou do? ” persisted his uncle. 

"Descend by a path that only Martin and I 
know ” 

"If Martin knows, all know,” interrupted the cap- 
tain. 

" But no, for I have so threatened him that he 
dares not speak of it to any living being but me. 


48 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


He is too afraid of the evil spirits,” and Kaimond 
chuckled mischievously. 

" Thou’d better look to it that the evil spirits do 
not harm thee, if thou make sport of them. But I 
will trust thee. Keep thy eyes and ears open, and 
repeat word for word what I will tell thee later, for 
the success of this enterprise depends more on our 
wits than our strength.” 

Messire de Bonciel talked for some time longer 
with Lady Yvette, and when the conference closed 
her face was radiant with exultant anticipation. 

Eaimond listened attentively to his uncle’s in- 
structions, and as soon as darkness fell was lowered 
over the wall. He had no difficulty in eluding the 
vigilance of the sentinels, and was soon in the town. 
Then he repaired to the house of the chief magis- 
trate and delivered his message. 

It was three hours after sunrise the following 
morning. Not a sign of capitulation was visible 
from the chateau. The attacking force was drawn 
up in martial array, awaiting the signal of assault. 
At length the signal sounded, spurs were put to 
horse, and the whole company galloped toward the 
town of Bocasse. Just outside the unwalled city 
the town guards were awaiting them, armed with 
pikes and mallets and battle-axes. They made a 
brave stand for a time, then broke ranks, turned, 
and fled into the city, closely followed by the en- 
emy, who charged upon them with lance and battle- 


THE MAIDEN KNIGHT. 


49 


axe. Down the narrow, crooked streets the burgess 
army ran. Darting hither and thither, the men-at- 
arms had difficulty in following them, for the streets 
were full of obstacles purposely placed there to im- 
pede the horsemen. Into doorways, under arches, 
the members of the burgess army dodged, hiding in 
obscure corners, till the whole town force seemed to 
have melted mysteriously away ; while down from 
the gabled roofs and windows that overhung the 
streets came pitch, quicklime, stones, and other mis- 
siles, even refuse of an unsavory character. 

With vehement imprecations, the men-at-arms 
clattered down the streets in search of foes to conquer 
till they came to a blank wall which checked farther 
progress. Wheeling their horses, they charged 
against the closed doors of houses, which being of 
heavy oak, resisted their efforts. Then they sought 
to retrace their steps to join those of their comrades 
who had taken to other streets, for they had sepa- 
rated while in pursuit of the townspeople. Those, 
however, who attempted to retrace their way found 
the streets closed by mounted men-at-arms from 
Chateau Bocasse. Not till then did the knights 
realize that they had been trapped. When Sir Gas- 
ton discovered that they had been led into an am- 
bush, he swung his sword around his head and 
shouted : 

“ Navarre ! Navarre ! ” 

At the same time he charged into the Bocasse 
4 


50 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


forces with such impetuosity that he made his way 
into their midst, expecting his followers to keep 
close behind him. Suddenly he found himself com- 
pletely cut off from his supporters and hemmed in 
on all sides by the maid’s men. Then there rode 
up to the knight a slender mail-clad figure on a 
white horse, and a clear, ringing voice cried: 

“ Yield ye, yield ye, Sir Knight, to the Lady of 
Bocasse ! ” 


CHAPTEK IV. 


THE PRISONER OF BOCASSE. 

In an instant the Gascon knight comprehended 
the situation. Cut off from his company, alone 
amid the enemy, he wisely submitted with good 
grace to the vicissitudes of fortune. Bowing over 
the gauntleted hand extended toward him to receive 
his sword, he murmured : 

“Never did knight yield to fairer or braver victor.” 

The Navarrese who had been lent the Gascon 
knight by King Charles were allowed to return home 
without ransom. When from them the king learned 
of the discomfiture of the Sieur d’Ambricicourt, he 
chuckled. 

“ Oft have I heard of the wiles and snares of fair 
dames, but never has knight been more cunningly 
trapped. Messire d’Ambricicourt must seek other 
means of courting if he would win one of the fair 
maids of Navarre.” 

It was not surprising that Sir Gaston should feel 
that he had been made the sport of fortune. It was 
through no fault of his that the attack upon Chateau 
Bocasse had been unsuccessful. If its lord had 


52 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


been a man whom he might have met in fair field 
with no favor, then would he have no one but him- 
self to blame for failure. Then, also, would not he, 
Gaston d’Ambricicourt, the renowned Gascon knight, 
be the prisoner of a maid ; for was it not the express 
stipulation of Charles le Mauvais that the lady 
should be unharmed ? He had given his word read- 
ily enough; he had expected that the maid would 
remain within the castle. Surely a distaff is more 
suited to a lady’s hand than a lance ! 

Sir Gaston had been conducted with all courtesy 
due his rank to the castle, where he was lodged as a 
guest rather than a captive. The day after his sur- 
render he had requested the captain of the guard to 
inform him of the amount of his ransom, that he 
might set about at once to raise it and rejoin his 
lord at Bordeaux. But Messire de Bonciel said he 
must first consult with the Lady of Bocasse. 

Vague excuses met his repeated requests to have 
the amount of his ransom settled. In vain the Gas- 
con knight reminded his [captors of the importance 
of his mission and the necessity of a speedy return 
to Bordeaux. 

“ ’Twere a pity. Sir Knight, for thee to have dal- 
lied so long outside a lady’s castle ; but surely would 
it now be lacking in knightly courtesy to hasten thy 
departure when its gates have opened to receive 
thee,” once answered the Maid of Bocasse, a little 
mockingly. 


THE PRISONER OF BOCASSE. 


53 


There was one inmate of Chateau Bocasse who ap- 
preciated the company of Sir Gaston, and that was 
the damoiseau, Kaimond de Brfeze. Nearly sixteen, 
he was well trained in the use of arms and in the 
manly sports of his time ; and being well developed, 
strong, and active, would have been made a squire 
before this had not the Lord of Bocasse so suddenly 
died. 

Eaimond eagerly questioned Sir Gaston concern- 
ing the court at Bordeaux and the new Lord of 
Aquitaine; for the fame of the Black Prince had 
reached even the southern kingdom of Navarre, 
whose king, called Charles le Mauvais, was a man of 
great ambition and no principle, who espoused the 
cause of the English or French according to what he 
could get for himself out of either. ^ 

At the time of our story, 1366, France was in the 
throes of the Hundred Years’ War, during which 
time successive English kings were trying by force 
of arms to establish the claim of Edward III. and 
his successors to the French crown. Edward III., 
King of England, was the father of the Black Prince, 
who had distinguished himself at the battle of Cr^ci, 
1346. So far the English had the best of it, for 
Edward was supported by Flanders, his wife being 
the daughter of the Count of Hainault, and also had 
a loyal Commons to vote him money to secure prop- 
er munitions of war ; but better than either was his 
sturdy yeomanry, who bore the brunt of battle and 


54 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


who formed a well-disciplined force that was accus- 
tomed to obey orders. The French king, on the 
contrary, depended entirely on his nobles and their 
followers. The people were ignored save in the 
matter of taxation, in which they had no voice; the 
poorer the man the greater was the tax in propor- 
tion. After the battle of Poitiers, 1356, when King 
John had been taken prisoner by the Black Prince, 
some of the fairest provinces of France had been 
ceded to the English as a part of his ransom ; among 
these was Aquitaine, to which duchy King John 
renounced all suzerainty. Thereupon Aquitaine was 
raised to an independent principality in the English 
interest, and Edward Prince of Wales, known to 
history as the Black Prince, was made its lord. 

Gascony came under the suzerainty of the English 
prince in spite of the protests of the Gascons at be- 
ing entirely dissociated from the French crown; for 
hitherto the English had held their possessions in 
France as vassals of the French king. The Black 
Prince further alienated the Gascon lords by bestow- 
ing all privileges and preferments on English 
knights. 

In process of time reports of these things came to 
B4arn, wherein was situated the county of Bocasse, 
and Eaimond was eager to know more of the details ; 
for a young nobleman’s career was to be followed 
only on the battlefield. Many were the conversa- 
tions held between the knight and the page; and 


THE PRISONER OP BOCASSE. 55 

sometimes the beautiful ch^telaiue and her women 
would also be interested listeners, and Lady Yvette 
would inquire after "the fair Maid of Kent,” as the 
charming consort of the Black Prince was still 
known, though once a widow and twice a wife. 

Often of an afternoon of that fine October weather 
would the chatelaine and her ladies, squires, and 
pages sit on the perron, under the shade of the 
great elm, and listen to the knight’s tales of adven- 
ture. 

As the days passed, the haste of the handsome 
knight to be gone diminished. Life at Bocasse, 
though quiet, was very pleasant, made doubly so to 
Sir Gaston by the presence of a sweet, gracious 
woman, more gracious because she wished to impress 
upon the suitor to her domains that its chatelaine 
also was well worth the winning. 

One morning Martin came to the castle and told 
how for a week past the peasants’ fields had been 
nightly visited and the choicest of their flocks car- 
ried off by .a bear, which Martin had traced to its 
den in the mountain. 

Then said the Maid of Bocasse : 

“Let us go hunt the beast on the morrow, that 
these poor peasants may not lose their sheep.” 

So the next morning at daybreak the courtyard 
was all astir with stamping horses, hallooing grooms, 
merry pages, and impatient squires. Then the gates 
were thrown open, the bridge let down, and out the 


56 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


courtyard, through the vaulted passage under the 
towers, across the bridge, clattered the horses, eagerly 
snuffing the bracing morning air. On the two fore- 
most horses rode the captive knight and Lady Yvette, 
the latter looking radiant in her green hunting robe. 

The air was sweet and fresh; the birds warbled 
and called from tree to tree ; the grass sparkled with 
dewdrops that caught and reflected the rays of the 
rising sun. Over the green meadows, in swift, ex- 
hilarating gallop till the mountainside was reached, 
they sped ; up its steep sides they more cautiously 
rode, for the path was narrow and treacherous. Then 
came the discovery of the trail, followed by the sound 
of the horns, the cry of the dogs, and the delight of 
pursuit. But bruin was wary. Higher and higher 
they climbed the mountain, till horse could go no 
farther, and the hunters were compelled to dismount 
and proceed on foot. Still the tracks led upward 
into the regions of snow and ice. Suddenly there 
came a mighty shout. The great lumbering form of 
a huge bear was seen swaying from side to side as he 
tried to outdistance his pursuers. Up and down the 
jagged slopes that formed the mountain top, over 
plateaux of ice, the bear led the hunters. On rushed 
the gallant hounds ; up steep ascents, down sudden 
declivities, across more ice, through deep gorges, 
trotted the bear. 

Lady Yvette had been obliged to drop out of the 
chase before this; one by one the huntsmen fell be- 


THE PRISONER OF BOCASSE. 


57 


hind, until Sir Gaston, Martin, and two other at- 
tendants were all that followed the trail. At 
length, weary but desperate, the bear stopped and 
turned, facing his pursuers. Back of him and on 
one side were huge overhanging rocks; on the other 
side was an abrupt falling away of earth as if washed 
out by a mountain torrent. 

On his thick hind legs stood the bear, a grim fig- 
ure, threatening enough to daunt the boldest. The 
dogs rushed at him, but he knocked them to the 
right and left with his enormous paw, laying two of 
them dead at his feet. The others, howling with 
pain and fright, slunk back to the feet of the knight, 
who stood with his spear poised, waiting for the 
proper moment to throw it. Just then Martin came 
up to the knight, and, seeing the wounded dogs, 
gave a cry so loud that it attracted to him the atten- 
tion of the bear, who took a few steps forward and 
caught the unlucky peasant in his deadly embrace. 

Martin shrieked with agony and terror. He was 
helpless in the grasp of the brute, able to move 
neither of his arms. To launch a spear at the ani- 
mal without striking the man was impossible, so 
Sir Gaston flung down his spear, and drawing his 
dagger from his belt, sprang upon the infuriated ani- 
mal, striking him in the throat above Martin’s head. 
With a howl of rage and pain, the bear released Mar- 
tin and struck out at the knight, catching his left 
arm in his claws. Fast and furious were the thrusts 


68 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


of the knight’s dagger, loud and hideous was the 
roar of the beast, that echoed and re-echoed through 
the rocky caverns. 

By this time three or four of the rest of the party 
arrived on the scene and hurried to the aid of the 
knight. 

The bear was now desperate, and fought off his 
assailants with the courage born of despair. With a 
final effort the knight rallied his fast failing strength 
for a spring, and, plunging his knife deep into the 
bear’s neck, cut the jugular vein. Bleeding from 
many wounds, faint with fast- coming death, the ani- 
mal fell heavily, bringing the knight down partially 
beneath his bulky body. Strong hands soon drew 
Sir Gaston from his dangerous position. 

Loud rang the shouts of the huntsmen at the vic- 
tory over the animal, and great were their astonish- 
ment and satisfaction when they came to see its size, 
for seldom had been killed so large a bear. Sir Gas- 
ton was faint from loss of blood, and had to be 
helped down the crags to where their horses awaited 
them. They had not ridden far when Lady Yvette 
saw he was keeping on his horse with difficulty, and 
no sooner had they passed the gates of the castle 
than he swayed in his saddle, and would have fallen 
had she not been at his side and held his unconscious 
form in her arms till attendants bore him from his 
horse and up to his chamber. 

Nurse Alinore was soon with him, and it was only 


THE PRISONER OP BOCASSE. 


59 


her skill in healing and her careful nursing that 
brought him back to life. Deftly did she cleanse 
and dress his terrible wounds, applying soothing 
unguents and administering quieting drinks. But 
many a day the knight lay upon his bed of pain, as 
weak and helpless as a child. Hardly day nor night 
did his grateful and faithful nurse leave his side. 
To her he owed his life, as she owed hers to him. 

When the fever was at its height, often was the 
name of Yvette upon the sufferer’s lips, repeated so 
yearningly and pleadingly that the good dame’s heart 
was touched. One midnight, when Nurse Alinore 
had almost given up hope of his recovery, and he 
called so unceasingly for the lady of the castle, his 
nurse softly stole from his chamber, made her way 
to Lady Yvette’s room, and waking her nursling, 
bade her arise, dress quickly, and follow her. 

“Is he dying? ” asked the young girl, fear clutch- 
ing at her heart. 

“I know not; but come.” 

Not another word was spoken till they reached 
the bedside of the sick man. He was restlessly toss- 
ing from side to side, moaning, and muttering inco- 
herently : 

“Yvette, Yvette, why dost thou defy me? Scale 
the wall! Look out, look out, you will hit her! 
Ah, I die and she will not come ! ” 

“Yes, yes,” she murmured, and she knelt by his 
bedside, and nestled his head in her arms, and laid 


60 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


her cool cheek on his fevered brow. Then his eyes 
opened, a smile parted his lips, he breathed deeply, 
and his mutterings and meanings and tossings 
ceased, and soon he was in a deep slumber, from 
which he awoke refreshed ; and from that time his 
recovery was sure. 

Often would the Lady Yvette have her tapestry 
frame taken to his room, and she would sit and sing 
to him, sometimes forgetting to work, while Nurse 
Alinore looked on approvingly ; for who was more 
worthy of her dear nursling than the puissant knight 
who risked limb and life not only for renown and 
glory, but for the lowly who had no other guerdon 
to give than their grateful thanks? 

Thus weeks passed, the knight being slow in re- 
gaining his full strength; nor did he regret it, for 
life was sweet within Chateau Bocasse, with the 
sound of the chatelaine’s voice in his ears and the 
sight of her kind eyes and gracious smile. And 
every day his heart grew more joyous for thinking 
that it was a love-light that made his lady’s eyes so 
softly bright, quicker heart throbs that caused the 
color ever to flit in the fair cheeks ; and while the 
cold mists blew over the mountains as if chased by 
malignant sprites, and the wind whistled down the 
gorges, and roared and wailed and moaned and 
shrieked about the turreted castle, all was light and 
warmth and brightness within. 

Then, though it was December, came some soft, 


THE PRISONER OP BOCASSE. 


61 


warm days, almost summer days, that tempted the 
indwellers to sally without the walls; and Nurse 
Alinore consenting, horses were saddled, and out the 
gates rode Lady Yvette by the side of Sir Gaston, 
who was rejoiced to feel once more the spring of his 
horse under him, but still happier at having the 
Lady Yvette by his side. 

On and on they rode, leaving their train far be- 
hind. Then, as if by tacit understanding, the ardor 
of their steeds abated, and they cantered quietly side 
by side. Presently the knight leaned toward the 
lady, and putting his hand on her bridle rein, mur- 
mured : 

“Ah, madame, if this might but last forever! ” 

Then did for the first time the eyes of Lady Yvette 
droop before the glance of man; the soft rich color 
deepened in her cheeks and the sweet tones faltered 
as she tried to give an indifferent answer. Closer 
drew the horses together, the arm of the knight stole 
around the waist of the lady, his face inclined toward 
hers, when on came the clatter of hoofs announcing 
the approach of the attendants. Quickly the space 
widened between the two lovers. Lady Yvette spoke 
to her palfrey and off she flew, but the knight kept 
close behind. 

Many conflicting emotions filled the breast of the 
Lady Yvette as she rode homeward that balmy even- 
ing. Her heart thrilled at the memory of those 
handsome, eloquent eyes that gazed so passionately 


62 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


into hers, at the thought of the touch of his arm; 
but she battled against awakening love, for suspicion 
had made her heart to smart with its stings. The 
Gascon knight had started out to take Ch§-teau de 
Bocasse either with or without its chatelaine; he 
had proved the fact that he could not take it with- 
out its lady, and now he was directing his assaults 
against the heart of the chatelaine. 

For hours she walked the floor of her chamber. 

If only she dare yield to the sweet pleadings of her 
heart! But, no; pride bade her beware the guile 
and wiles of conquering man. To give up her in- 
heritance was but little compared to giving her heart 
to an indifferent suitor. 

So for days after that of the ride, she was ever 
surrounded by her maidens, in order that the knight 
should have no chance to have private word with 
her. She feared herself, she feared lest her pride 
melt under the warmth of his wooing, lest she yield 
to his glance and acknowledge him her lord. 

Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt was not a man to be 
easily eluded, and when he found that the Lady 
Yvette kept aloof from him his love but flamed the 
hotter. She was so pure, so fair, so unapproachable 
in her maiden dignity, so desirable in her beauty 
and pride, that he determined to win her, cost what 
it might. 

One night, as they sat in the glow of the great 
roaring fire that lighted the vast apartment, he picked 


THE PRISONER OF BOCASSE. 


63 


up the lady’s lute and began to sing to its accom- 
paniment, immindful of the attendants, keeping his 
eyes fixed upon the flames, except when he raised 
them to seek the glance of Lady Yvette. 

Thus he sang : 

** ‘I fear to sing too seldom or too long — 

I cannot tell if silence be the best, 

Or if at all to tune my tender song — 

For she denies me pity, hope, and rest. 

Yet in my lay I might some note awake 
To please her ear more than all lays before. 

Though thus she seems a cruel joy to take 
That I should slowly suffer evermore. 

‘*‘She keeps me lingering thus in endless doubt. 

And, as she pleases, holds me in her chain ; 

Grant she no smile — I can adore without; 

And thus she knows and I reproach in vain ! 

I am content to wait my chances even now. 

If she will but one ray of hope allow.’ 

“ Charming ! ” murmured the lady when he fin- 
ished, “but the hour is late,” and with a stately in- 
clination of her head she swept from the room, fol- 
lowed by her waiting- women. 

Then Sir Gaston sought the intervention of Nurse 
Alinore, and begged her to intercede in his behalf. 
Joyfully the fond nurse undertook the mission. But 
Lady Yvette was provokingly gay. She laughed at 
her old nurse, and told her that a maiden’s heart was 
not always to be had for the asking. 

* From a chanson of Thibault of Champagne. 


64 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“ But, ma mie, is it not that the knight has proven 
himself worthy ? Did he not save the life of thy 
old nurse, and does he not deserve his reward? ” 

“So thou thinkest, because he drove a pack of 
peasants out of the castle as a dog scatters a flock of 
sheep, that he should receive as guerdon the domain 
of Bocasse? Puissant knights would be plenty as 
flies in summer if such guerdons awaited their valiant 
exploits.” 

“ But, demoiselle, did he not also save the life of 
poor Martin? ” 

“ Ah, thou wouldst have me give myself and in- 
heritance to one who saved the life of a churl that 
came near being the death of my good nurse ! ” and 
the young girl threw her arms around her faithful 
friend’s neck, and stopped further words with kisses. 

Again and again Nurse Alinore reverted to the 
subject, but she was met with gay raillery or con- 
temptuous indifference, sometimes even with anger; 
though all the while the young maid’s heart leaped 
at the sound of the knight’s footsteps, and her heart 
longed for the glance of his eyes. One evening she 
was walking alone on the west wall, about sunset, 
and Sir Gaston, chancing to see her, quickly followed. 
As she heard his footsteps, she cast a laughing 
glance over her shoulder, a challenging glance, then 
ran, fleet as a deer, along the parapet. Swift of 
foot, light of body, strong of breath, she would have 
outrun ^him, but her long robe wound itself around 


THE PRISONER OF BOCASSE. 


65 


her feet, and before she' could disentangle it he was 
by her side, had seized her in his arms as if to pre- 
vent her from falling, and held her to his wildly 
beating heart. 

“ Gherie ! Bien aimee ! ” he murmured ; “ at last 
thou art mine ! ” and he held her fair face from him 
and looked down into her eyes. 

Lady Yvette trembled, and her eyes fell beneath 
his gaze; his lips approached hers; in another in- 
stant she would have yielded herself to him had not 
the memory of that night when his head lay within 
her arms and her cheek rested upon his brow flashed 
between her eyes and his, and at the thought of it 
the assurance of his wooing angered her. She was 
not the maid to be lightly won and lightly cherished. 

She withdrew from his encircling arms, and stood 
aloof, with her dainty chin slightly raised, and her 
lids half lowered, and said with mocking lips : 

" My lord thinks Chateau Bocasse well worth the 
simulation of a lover’s ardor. But he will find the 
heart of the chatelaine as well fortified as were the 
walls of the chateau ! ” and with a sweeping courtesy 
she left him there ; while he pulled at his beard in 
his vexation. 

And Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt swore lustily. 
Was he always to be made ridiculous and con- 
temptible by a maid, who, as had said the King of 
Navarre, “ had the face of a saint and the temper of 
a devil ” ? 

5 


66 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


So he sent to the captain of the guard, craving 
an interview. And when it was granted, he de- 
manded to know the amount of his ransom, asking 
permission to depart at once for Bordeaux in quest 
of it. 

“Fair Sir Knight, you are at liberty to go and 
come as you list : for your ransom has long since 
been paid; so says the Lady of Bocasse.” 

“How so? ” demanded the knight. 

“ In the lives of Dame Alinore and Martin," re- 
plied the captain of the guard. 

“Does madame value the life of a Gascon knight 
no higher than that of an old woman and a fool of a 
peasant? ” 

And Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt rode out the gates 
of Chateau Bocasse, heartsore, angry, and humiliated ; 
while the lady of the castle watched him depart as 
best she might through the tears that obscured her 
sight and reddened her eyes. 


CHAPTER V. 


SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 

Now there lived in France at this time a Breton 
knight called Bertrand du Guesclin. This gentle- 
man had so distinguished himself in the Brittany 
war of succession between the counts of Montford 
and Blois as to have attracted the favorable notice 
of the French king. His birth was obscure, his 
father being a simple knight, having neither wealth 
nor renown. Nor was Sir Bertrand handsome or 
learned, having made his way by force of gallantry 
and skill at arms, as well as that inherent power in 
great leaders of being able to inspire large bodies of 
men with something of their own will and spirit, 
after having excited their admiration and won their 
confidence by deeds of valor and acts of heroism. 

The renown of this knight had spread far and 
wide. Even the exploits of the Black Prince seemed 
to have been forgotten in the talk and stir of some 
of those of Sir Bertrand, especially his exploit of 
seizing the Captal de Buch from the midst of his 
own army, aided only by thirty of his followers. 
Not only did the success of this daring feat add 


68 


THE MAED OF BOCASSE. 


greatly to the renown of the Breton knight, but it 
gained him substantial reward, for Charles V., then 
king of France, bestowed upon him, in recognition 
of this service, the princely domain of the county of 
Longueville. Also this exploit and several others 
caused the Black Prince to look closely lest the lau- 
rels be snatched from his brow to adorn that of the 
Breton knight. Nor were his fears lessened when 
he learned of Sir Bertrand’s brilliant successes in 
Spain, whither he had led the Free Companies that 
had been devastating France since 'the Treaty of 
Brittany, which had given King John his liberty, 
denuded France of some of her fairest provinces, and 
stopped for a time the war between France and Eng- 
land. 

In the fourteenth century France had no standing 
army. The barons and vassals, who owed the king 
military service, were bound to serve him from but 
one to three months at a time ; consequently they 
could not be depended upon for long campaigns, and 
the king was obliged to resort to the employment of 
mercenaries, whom he paid so long as he had use 
for them. When discharged from the king’s service, 
unless they were hired by another master, they 
formed companies under some able leader and preyed 
upon the country at large. These men were of all 
ranks and all nationalities, — English, Brabanters, 
Normans, Picards, Gascons, and Flemings. They 
pillaged rich and poor alike, and were known as 


SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 


69 


hrigandSy taking their name from the hrigandinCy a 
shirt of mail consisting of small scales sewed upon a 
shirt of buckram, which was worn by ordinary foot 
soldiers. This word has since become synonymous 
with robber or highwayman, because of the depreda- 
tions of these freebooters. Men of high birth did 
not scruple to command them. These self-styled 
“Free Companies” numbered thirty thousand men, 
and in times of peace extorted blackmail from every 
province in France. King Charles summoned the 
Breton knight to court and asked him if he would 
not rid the kingdom of this incubus. This Sir Ber- 
trand agreed to do, and accordingly, making friends 
with the captains by promising them a free pardon 
and a hundred thousand golden crowns as soon as 
they should have crossed the frontier, and also the 
prospect of unlimited plunder, he led the Free Com- 
panies into Spain. That country was distracted by 
civil war. Don Pedro the Cruel, by his oppression, 
had driven his subjects into rebellion. Henry of 
Transtamare, his natural brother, led the revolt, and 
appealed to the French for assistance. This the 
French king was willing to render for two reasons : 
first, because it would relieve him of the Free Com- 
panies, and also because Don Pedro had murdered 
his wife, who was a sister of Charles V. of France. 

Aided by his French ally and the Free Companies, 
Don Henry succeeded in deposing Don Pedro and 
putting him to flight. Thereupon Don Pedro had 


70 


THE MAH) OP BOCASSE. 


appealed to the Black Prince for succor to enable 
him to recover his own, going to Aquitaine to plead 
his cause in person. Accompanied by a large retinue 
of knights and squires, the Black Prince went to 
Bayonne to receive his royal visitor and suppliant, 
who told him that in his extremity he had come for 
succor “ to honor, prowess, and complaisance ; to vir- 
tue, the flower of chivalry; to the sword of the val- 
iant to which every one resorts; to him who by 
right bears the dominion, the key, and the mastery 
of all knights* prowess, hardihood, largess, and cour- 
tesy ! ” This pretty bit of flattery naturally made 
the prince feel very amiably disposed toward Don 
Pedro. 

The Spanish king was most munificent in the be- 
stowal of magnificent presents and in promises of 
princely rewards. To the Princess of Wales he sent 
a table made of finely wrought gold inlaid with pre- 
cious stones, among the latter being a carbuncle of 
such great size and dazzling lustre that, in the exu- 
berant speech of the time, “ it restored to night the 
light of the sun.” 

The fair princess received the gift with indiffer- 
ence ; she knew the bauble would cost her husband 
much more than its value ; besides, she had no mind 
to aid so profligate a king, and one who had mur- 
dered his own wife. 

“It is a beautiful present,” she said when she saw 
it, “but it will cost us dear.” 


SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 7l 

The words of the princess were prophetic, for the 
expedition ultimately cost her husband’s life and the 
loss of all the English possessions in Erance, save 
Bordeaux and Calais, until Henry V. regained them 
for a time at a great expenditure of time, life, and 
money. 

The lords of Aquitaine were very ready for any 
fresh enterprise that promised glory and gold, but 
they distrusted the Spanish king’s lavish promises. 

“ Who is to pay the wages of our men ? ” they asked. 
“ If it were in the interest of our dear lord, your 
father, and of yourself, or for your honor or your 
courtesy, we would not speak of it before doing it.” 

The Black Prince turned to Don Pedro, who was 
present, for by this time they had arrived at Bor- 
deaux, and said : 

“ Sir King, you hear what our people say ; it be- 
comes you to answer them, as it is your business.” 

“ My dear cousin,” replied the king, “ so far as the 
money and the treasure I have with me will extend, 
which are not by thirty times as much as I have at 
home, I will give and divide them among your 
people.” 

“You say well,” rejoined the prince, “for the bal- 
ance, I will make my debt to them and lend you all 
you may need until we are in Castile.” 

“By my head,” exclaimed the king, “you do me 
great favor and great courtesy ! ” 

Thus it was that the Black Prince had sent Sir 


72 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


Gaston to the King of Navarre for permission to 
cross his kingdom on his way to Spain. 

Charles le Mauvais had not waited for the Gascon 
knight to recover his liberty in order to send his 
answer to Edward Prince of Wales and Aquitaine. 
The reply, however, had been far from satisfactory, 
for while full of fair seemings, it definitely promised 
nothing. Therefore, the Black Prince sent another 
messenger to Charles le Mauvais, calling upon him 
to fulfil the obligations imposed by the last treaty 
between them, else would he visit Navarre as an 
enemy instead of a friend. 

Charles le Mauvais disclaimed any intention of 
evading the conditions of said treaty, and declared 
he had already recalled from Spain the Navarrese 
who had gone to the aid of Don Enriquez. 

That the recall of the Navarrese had been so timed 
as to meet a detachment of the Black Prince at Bo- 
land’s Pass may have been an accident, but it cer- 
tainly looks like one of those little schemes by 
which Charles le Mauvais delighted to harass his 
neighbors, without involving himself too deeply. 
Still, it may have been the garrulity that is inspired 
by good comradeship that induced the messenger of 
Charles le Mauvais to reveal the fact to the French 
allies and Spanish supporters of Don Enriquez that 
the Prince of Wales was about to send an army 
across the Pyrenees, with which he expected to rein- 
state Don Pedro on the throne of Leon and Castile, 


SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 73 

and that the’ first detachment would cross the famous 
Pass of Koncesvalles on a certain day. 

However, it is not the business of a chronicler 
always to give reasons, but rather to relate facts; 
and the facts in this case are that when the detach- 
ment of the army of the Black Prince, under the 
command of Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt, late prisoner 
of Bocasse, attempted to cross the Pyrenees in ad- 
vance of the main army, according to instructions, 
he found that the god of war, like the little god of 
love, acts in a manner that is both perverse and de- 
vious. 

Sir Gaston had left Bocasse a much disappointed 
man, and had made his way back to Bordeaux, set- 
tled, as he supposed, in the conviction that Navarre 
was no place for him and should see him no more. 

The Lady of Bocasse was too hospitable a chate- 
laine to permit a guest to ride away unattended, and 
had requested Messire de Bonciel to take some men- 
at-arms and escort Sir Gaston back to Bordeaux. 
Eaimond had begged to be allowed to go, and when 
on the road entreated his uncle so strongly to be per- 
mitted to become the squire of Sir Gaston, who had 
promised to receive him in his suite if he could gain 
the consent of his lady and his uncle, that Messire 
de Bonciel gave a conditional consent. Should 
madame approve, he might remain ; otherwise he was 
to return at once ; therefore, when the captain of the 
guard returned to Bocasse, after escorting the late 


74 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


prisoner to Bordeaux, Kaimond was not of his com- 
pany. 

Lady Yvette’ was secretly much pleased that all 
communication with the handsome knight was not 
entirely to be shut off ; yet she pretended to some 
annoyance that one of her pages should wish to quit 
her service. Messire de Bonciel represented to her 
that there was no opportunity for advancement of 
fortune in Bocasse just then ; that Eaimond was an 
aspiring youth, though a faithful and loyal one, and 
would return immediately when his lady signified 
such a wish. Then Lady Yvette consented to let 
him remain with the Gascon knight until he were 
ready to return of his own will. 

In spite of Sir Gaston’s intention of shaking for- 
ever the dust of Navarre from his feet, the day after 
his return to Bordeaux he found himself on the way 
back to Navarre with Eaimond riding behind him 
in company with the squires, who carried their lord’s 
lance, shield, and helmet. It took several days to 
cross B^arn and to reach the Pyrenees ; then they 
were obliged to halt a day or two while awaiting the 
arrival of the guides that Charles le Mauvais had 
promised to furnish to conduct the company through 
the Pass at Eoncesvalles, made famous by the defeat 
and death of Poland during the time of Charlemagne. 

It was February. The days had been as warm 
and balmy as a typical Indian summer; but when 
Sir Gaston, his company, and guides began ascending 


SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 


76 


the lower ridge of the Pyrenees, the weather sud- 
denly changed, the sun was obscured by mist, and 
the mist turned to snow, so that the horses and their 
riders became as animated statues, so quickly did 
the damp, clinging snow envelop them. 

Steeper and higher grew the mountain slopes, 
sheerer and more jagged rose the precipices, blacker 
yawned the gorges. On they marched over paths 
that seemed like the beds of dried-up mountain 
torrents ; up the wearisome ascent toiled the moun- 
tain ponies, heavily laden with the weight of the 
mail-clad men-at-arms, and constantly slipping on 
the treacherous mountain paths. 

They had entered the gorge early in the morning; 
two hours after noon, cold, weary, and hungry, they 
came to a place where they decided to camp for the 
night, as the short day was almost over in the gloom 
of the mountain fastnesses. 

The spot they had selected was a circus-like inte- 
rior, scooped out, as it were, from a group of stony 
and precipitous mountains whose peaks were crowned 
with perpetual snow. It seemed as if it might have 
been the bed of some upland lake, fed at one time by 
the rushing torrent that had riven its way through 
the mountains, its outlet being at the other end from 
where the Gascon knight and his company had en- 
tered. 

On one side were peaks of varying heights; on 
the other rose abruptly frowning granite cliffs that 


76 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


towered perpendicularly over a thousand feet above 
their heads. 

The ponies were tethered near the entrance of the 
gorge by which they had entered the amphitheatre ; 
fires were lighted at the foot of the cliffs, their flames 
playing mad pranks on the grim and sombre fronts. 
Supper was over. The men lay about the fires, 
sleepy and weary after their laborious ascent. 

Suddenly they were startled by a thousand yells, 
and down into the amphitheatre, both by the gorge 
at the farther end and by the smaller hills opposite 
the frowning cliffs, swarmed a thousand men. 

Quickly getting into his armor. Sir Gaston called 
for the Basque peasants who had been their guides, 
but they had disappeared. The English were out- 
numbered two to one, and were crowded back 
against the cliffs by the Spanish and Navarrese 
troops. Desperately they fought, but closer and 
harder pressed the enemy. Those in front bore the 
brunt of the attack, and as they were hewn down, 
those in the rear took their places to suffer a like 
fate. 

It was a terrible mUee. The enemy had every 
advantage — that of a surprise, of space, of knowledge 
of the ground, and of numbers. The struggle, 
though furious, was brief ; for suddenly there rolled 
down from the mountain tops a Pyrenean fog that 
engulfed the combatants almost like the heaving 
waves of the ocean. The clash of conflict was 


SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 


77 


dulled, the din of voices was muffled, and soon 
silence as well as the mist settled upon the strug- 
gling men at the foot of the towering cliffs. 

Night came, and the fog lifted; the camp fires 
that threw fantastic shadows over the gray, grim 
walls were now surrounded by Spanish and Navar- 
rese men-at-arms instead of English, who lay hud- 
dled near the entrance by which they had entered, 
guarded by a company of armed Spaniards, who 
awaited impatiently the time when the watch would 
be changed, for they had travelled far, fought hard, 
and their eyes were heavy with sleep. They had no 
fear of the escape of the English and Gascon prison- 
ers, for many were wounded, the way was hazardous, 
bears and wolves abounded, and it was a journey 
never made by night. So when their eyes closed, 
and their heads nodded, they did not fight off the 
seductions of sleep, as they would have done had the 
situation been less secure, or had they not known 
that there were sentinels to watch. 

The moon shone fitfully over the slender pines 
that dotted the mountain peaks, which stood out, 
dark and shadowy, under her shifting gleams as she 
peered from her wrappings of moving, misty clouds. 
Over the mountain tops drifted great masses of fog, 
driven before the mighty winds that shrieked and 
moaned and hissed like malignant sprites, dashing 
down into the great stone basin as if it sought to 
shift the mountain of rock as it did the mist. 


7S 


THE MAH) OF BOCASSE. 


The wounded, the dying, and the dead lay to- 
gether in the gorge. Sir Gaston had been un- 
harmed, and now in the dead of night watched and 
pondered over the fate that awaited him, while all 
else slept save the sentinels and those of his brave 
companions who were too sorely smitten to lose 
sense of pain in sleep even for one brief moment. 

The prospect was dark. Sir Gaston had over- 
heard the councils of the leaders, who took no heed 
to conceal their designs. It was decided to put the 
prisoners to death instead of holding them for ran- 
som. There were two reasons for this: first, that 
there should be none left to tell of the ambush in 
case Don Pedro should be re-established on the Cas- 
tilian throne ; second, the charge of so many prison- 
ers would impede their movements, as the Spaniards 
wished to return to the Spanish side of the Pyrenees 
as speedily as possible; while the Navarrese, who 
were bidden report to Charles le Mauvais within 
two days, would find the English prisoners decidedly 
in the way, as their presence would be embarrassing 
to account for, now that the Navarrese king had 
openly declared himself on the side of Don Pedro. 

While Sir Gaston was pondering over the disad- 
vantages of the situation, there occurred a most sin- 
gular thing. First, strains of music as of angels’ 
chants floated downward from the heavens above. 
Glancing upward. Sir Gaston beheld the tall white 
figure of a spirit form poised lightly oi\ a snow-cov- 



Sir Gaston Beheld the Tall Figure of a Spirit Form Poised Lightly 
on a Projecting Crag Above Him.” 


Page 78. 








SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 79 

ered projecting crag far above him. Myriads of 
spirits seemed circling about the one that stood out 
more distinctly than the others. The cloudlike ap- 
paritions appeared and disappeared, ascended and de- 
scended, advanced and retreated, sometimes hovering 
in the air directly overhead, sometimes crowding 
about the single figure poised on the overhanging 
crag, which seemed to be with one hand beckoning 
to those who lay at the bottom of the cliffs, while 
with the other pointed upward and beyond. 

“ Les Blanquettes ! Les Blanquettes ! ” muttered the 
sentinels, crossing themselves and falling upon their 
knees, their lips moving in half audible prayer. 

Louder and louder blew the wind, so that the 
voices of the spirits were stilled ; quicker and quicker 
swayed the forms that at times appeared to be mere 
creatures of the mists, as they wreathed in and out 
amid the peaks, faster flew the mists before the north 
wind ; while the moon looked out serenely from its 
cover of fleecy wrappings, throwing a silver flood on 
clouds and phantoms. 

The roar of the wind became almost deafening ; 
the cold was intense. Spellbound, Sir Gaston gazed 
upward, fascinated by the weird sight which he, 
too, believed to be supernatural. Suddenly he felt 
his arm seized from behind. Turning, he saw Kai- 
mond. 

“ Follow quickly. Sir Gaston ! ” shrieked the boy, 
and though the words were fairly shot into Sir Gas- 


80 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


ton’s ear, he scarcely caught their meaning on ac- 
count of the howling, hissing wind. 

“ They have come to the rescue ! ” screamed the 
page. Then stooping, he wakened the sleeping 
prisoners. Close behind him was Martin, who, 
taking up a wounded man, put him on his back and 
made for the narrow gorge by which Sir Gaston and 
his company had entered the amphitheatre hours 
before. Some of the unwounded prisoners followed 
his example. They made their way past the awe- 
struck sentinels, who could hear nothing on account 
of the wind, and saw nothing because of their low- 
ered eyes, which they dared not raise on account of 
the white spirits above. The remainder of the guard 
slept, hearing and seeing nothing also, for they never 
dreamed that a rescue or an escape would be at- 
tempted at night. 

Stealthily crept the escaping prisoners behind the 
backs of the sentinels, who were too engrossed with 
their prayers to give thought to their charges. 
They prayed and quaked and groaned. This su- 
pernatural visitation foreboded dire calamity. The 
hand of the Lord was against them ; the white spir- 
its had come to warn them to withdraw from the 
enterprise before too late. 

When dawn came, and the watch was changed, 
the sentinels had a blood-curdling tale to unfold con- 
cerning the white spirits who had come from above 
and had borne the prisoners away, after touching the 


SIR BERTRAND DU GUESCLIN. 81 

lips of the sentinels with their fingers and sealing 
them to silence. And though many marvelled, none 
dared question, as it is known that the Uanquettes 
are exceedingly jealous of their reputation and sorely 
punish all unbelievers. 

6 


CHAPTER VL 


THE RESCUE. 

As the Lady Yvette watched the Gascon knight 
ride away in the mists of that February morning, 
she felt as though the sun of her life had also been 
ingulfed in the fog that swallowed his form. She 
tried to comfort herself with the thought that she 
had upheld the dignity of the house of Bocasse by 
demonstrating that neither the fortress of the castle 
nor of its lady’s heart would yield at the first attack. 
But where there was none to commend her indepen- 
dence, and the days passed on, and her heart grew 
heavier with loneliness and longing, the satisfac- 
tion received from that sense of independence 
waned. 

No longer was she the light-hearted girl of a few 
months since, for in that short time grief and love 
had entered her life. No longer did she canter free 
of care, gay of spirit, over the hills and valleys. No 
more did she follow the hounds or fly the hawks. 
Riding and hunting companions were gone. Death 
had robbed her of a dearly loved father; pride, of a 
handsome, gallant lover. The embroidery frame 


THE RESCUE. 


83 


wearied her with its countless stitches ; Nurse Ali- 
nore cared for the sick ; the officers of the household 
were too well inducted in the conduct of their vari- 
ous duties to need supervision; since the departure 
of Sir Gaston her lute had remained unstrung. 

In vain Nurse Alinore tried to arouse her from 
her state of depression ; in vain her women sought 
to divert her with their gossip, their tales, and their 
songs. Lady Yvette turned impatiently from them 
all. Often would she go abroad in company with 
her dogs, which did not pester her with talk, or gal- 
lop over the fields, virtually alone, for she hade her 
attendants keep far in the rear. But times were 
troublous. Free Companies were constantly passing 
on their way across the Pyrenees. Nurse Alinore 
scolded, warned, and entreated, presaging all sorts of 
dire calamities did Lady Yvette persist in her fool- 
ishness in going far afield without proper escort. 
Captain Bonciel respectfully remonstrated with the 
lady of the castle, depicting the dangers of such pro- 
ceedings so vividly that at length Lady Yvette re- 
luctantly promised to keep near the castle and never 
leave its walls without suitable protection. 

“ Oh, that I were a knight instead of a maid ! ” 
she exclaimed one day, after having given this 
promise. “ To sew, to brew, to sing — these are the 
vocations of a maid. Oh, I shall die from very 
weariness ! ” 

“ Maids have much to learn to -fit them for wives 


84 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


and mothers. That knowledge gained, then should 
they marry,” answered the good Nurse Alinore. 

“But if there should be none to marry?” asked 
Lady Yvette. 

“Then may she enter a nunnery.” 

“ Wouldst thou have me leave the world and thee, 
good nurse ? ” asked the young girl, putting her arm 
about the waist of the older woman and nestling her 
cheek against hers. 

“Better that than discontent, cherie. Bather, 
however, would I have thee rear children and do a 
woman’s duty in the world.” 

“Can one have a husband for the asking? ” 

“ Sometimes for the taking, little one. ” 

Lady Yvette walked away and did not answer. 

“Already hast thou despatched one far from thee 
who would have cured thy idleness and filled thy 
empty heart.” 

Yvette turned and faced her nurse, saying with 
heightened color: 

“My dear nurse, wouldst thou have me bestow 
my hand as a mere appendage with my domain? 
Am I so ill-favored that I may not hope to win a 
lover for myself and not for my estate? ” 

“ The heart of a maid is hard, the sight of her eyes 
is short, the knowledge of her good is small. Never 
again will so valiant a knight set foot within Bo- 
casse ; never again will the knight himself seek wel- 
come from the castle.” 


THE RESCUE. 


85 


With these words Nurse Alinore left Lady Yvette 
— words that brought no comfort and increased her 
longing. 

Would she indeed never see him again? Yvette 
had not thought of that. She was waiting until he 
should seek her once more. Surely if he loved her 
he would not be so easily repulsed. How empty 
life threatened to be without him ! 

She went out upon the walls and slowly paced 
along their height. It was here they had met so 
often and discoursed of many things ; it was here 
that he had held her in his arms for one brief, bliss- 
ful moment. Oh, that she might bring him back ! 
Surely the broad domain of Bocasse had not been 
the only attraction! At that moment there came 
the full, long- note of a horn. She started. The 
blood rushed to her heart. 

“ A visitor ! ” she breathed. Had he come in an- 
swer to her longing? She waited impatiently to 
be summoned to receive the guest. But moments 
passed and no attendant appeared. Unable to re- 
strain her impatience longer, she went down into 
the reception hall, not even acknowledging to her- 
self whom she hoped to see. There she found a 
jongleur y who besought her hospitality. He was a 
dainty youth garbed in blue and yellow silk ; his 
short blue breeches reached but half-way down his 
thighs, the rest of his legs being covered with tight 
silken hose, one of blue, the other yellow; his long 


86 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


embroidered pointed shoes were caught at the tips 
by silver chains to his knees, probably to prevent 
him from stumbling over his own toes. His coat 
was also blue and yellow ; on his head he wore a 
hood of blue silk, covered with figures of fantastic 
design and fastened under the chin by a jewelled 
button. From under the hood was seen the long 
fair hair, cut short across the forehead in the fashion 
of a man-at-arms, though he were but a man of love 
and song. 

As it was already ten o’clock, the dinner hour at 
the close of the fourteenth century, the newcomer 
was at once invited to table, receiving a seat near 
the chatelaine, who, in spite of her disappointment, 
was well pleased with the minstrel’s visit, as was 
also the rest of the household, as offering diversion 
in the routine of castle life. Jongleurs were always 
welcome guests, not only on account of their enter- 
taining powers, but because they were a sort of peri- 
patetic newspaper. They travelled from court to 
court, from town to town, and from chateau to cha- 
teau ; and being privileged guests, their opportunity 
for gathering information was considerable, and their 
reports, therefore, were both varied and entertaining. 

After dinner the jongleur was invited into my 
lady’s boudoir to entertain her and her maidens for 
a brief time prior to his performance in the great 
hall for the benefit of the assembled household. 

The singer tuned his guitar, and after thrumming 


THE RESCUE. 


sr 

a few notes, began a long, rambling recitation. At 
first Lady Yvette did not catch its drift, but sud- 
denly she started, and then gazed intently into the 
face of the singer. 

He was reciting an eulogy of deeds of war, and 
telling how the English, Navarrese, and Spanish 
were about to meet in Eoland’s Pass, and as all the 
men were doughty, there was sure to be a pretty 
fight; but that the English would fall despite the 
valiant efforts of the knight of Ambricicourt, who 
was in command of the English company, as he and 
his companions would be entrapped like a wolf in 
its lair, as all egress from the pass would be cut off. 
“Twere a pity, too, that such a gallant knight 
should meet his death thus ; rather should he find 
it on the field of glory ’mid the shock of battle, the 
clash of arms, and the shouts of victory.” 

Then the Lady Yvette interrupted him and bade 
him speak quickly and briefly and tell her in plain, 
simple words what he meant. 

The jongleur disclaimed meaning anything spe- 
cially important, but told how at his last visit, 
which was at a castle where lodged for the night 
his majesty. King Charles of Navarre, he had heard 
rumors and gossip which had suggested his tale. 

King Charles and his convives had been drinking 
long and deep; and as the hours passed and the 
number of the cups increased, their speech began 
to flow as freely as the wine, and the jongleur had 


88 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


learned that though the King of Navarre openly 
espoused the cause of the Black Prince and Don 
Pedro his inclination was toward Prince Henry of 
Transtamare. If the English fell in the way of the 
Spanish and Navarrese, and the English were sur- 
prised and cut down, though Charles le Mauvais 
might be suspected of conniving at the act, nothing 
could be proved against him. 

As soon as the jongleur had finished his explana- 
tion, Lady Yvette sent for Messire de Bonciel to 
consult with him. 

" Messire,” she said, after relating to him briefly 
what she had learned from the jongleur ^ “ the life of 
your nephew is in danger. We must rescue him. 
Also should the treacherous designs of the Navarrese 
be foiled, if only for the honor of Navarre.” 

Never a word did she breathe concerning Sir Gas- 
ton d’Ambricicourt, though Messire de Bonciel was 
not slow in divining that it was not only the safety 
of his nephew and the honor of Navarre of which 
the young chatelaine was thinking. 

All the languor, all the discontent, all the weari- 
ness dropped from Lady Yvette like a loosened man- 
tle. Her lover was in danger. He must be suc- 
cored. Then would he not find her disdainful ; then 
could she afford to discard her semblance of pride 
and show that she was worth loving for her own 
sake alone. 

Within a few moments orders were given, horses 


THE RESCUE. 


89 


were saddled, and men armed. It was yet day when 
Messire de Bonciel, with the Lady of Bocasse at his 
side, rode out the castle gates, followed by a goodly 
company of men-at-arms. Putting spurs to horse, 
they rode hard and fast. Daylight waned, but the 
moon shone out clear and full over the plains. 

“ Shall we arrive in time ? ” asked the lady, anx- 
iously, as their horses slackened their gait at the 
bottom of the foothills. 

"In truth, I hope so, madame,” was the reply. 
He was thinking of the dangerous journey up that 
narrow path in the dark, where a misstep would be 
attended by fatal results. 

On they rode. It was nearly midnight when 
suddenly Lady Yvette’s horse shied and stopped, for 
just before him stood a figure, and the night air rang 
with the cry of — 

" Bocasse ! Bocasse ! ” 

It was this very day that Sir Gaston and his com- 
pany were encamped in the fateful glen of Gavamie, 
unconscious of the danger so close at hand. When 
the attack had come Eaimond had at first joined in 
the fray, or, at least, tried to do so; but he was 
crowded back against the cliffs by the larger and 
stronger naen-at-arms, who pushed their way to the 
front. He soon perceived that the Spanish and 
Navarrese largely outnumbered them, and that the 
condition of his comrades was desperate. Oh, if his 
uncle were only there to aid the English ! It would 


90 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


take hours on the fleetest pony to go to Bocasse, and 
hours to return. Then the fog settled down over the 
combatants, and the strife ceased. The English 
were conquered. It might not be too late for a res- 
cue. It was not yet nightfall out of the glen ; he 
could reach Bocasse before morning, and in three 
hours after sunrise the rescue party could arrive. 
But suppose they should have departed with their 
prisoners before then ! At all events it was worth 
the trial. So he found his way out of the glen, but 
could not get a pony without running great risk of 
detection, and was obliged to make his way down 
the mountainside on foot, stumbling and falling in 
the dark recesses of the gloomy forest. It was 
already night when he reached the plain. Miles 
lay between him and Bocasse, and his feet were sore 
and his legs were heavy with fatigue. He had gone 
but a mile or two farther when he heard the clatter 
of horses’ feet. He hid himself in a growth of un- 
derbrush till the party should pass by. The moon 
was shining clearly on the plains, though obscured by 
the mountain mists above, and what was his delight 
and surprise to behold the banner of Bocasse and to 
see his uncle, Messire de Bonciel, and, riding by his 
side, the Lady of Bocasse, enveloped in her long 
mantle of white fur. 

Giving the cry “ Bocasse ! Bocasse ! ” he sprang 
before their horses, causing Lady Yvette’s steed to 
shy, as we have already seen. Their surprise was 


THE RESCUE. 


91 


even greater than his had been. He told his tale 
quickly. An extra pony was given him, for extra 
horses were brought along in case they should be 
needed, and he proceeded to lead the way to the glen 
of Gavarnie. Within the forest all was darkness, 
gloom, and stillness, except for the cry of the wolves 
and the screeching of the owls. No moonlight pen- 
etrated the sombre depths ; the gorges yawned with 
sable blackness, while the precipitous heights before 
them seemed impassable. In vain Messire de Bon- 
ciel urged Lady Yvette to remain at the foot of the 
moimtain with an attendant or two, while he went 
upward to the rescue of the English. 

Lady Yvette laughed at his fears. 

“ En avant ! ” was all she said. 

Pine torches dipped in pitch were lighted, and 
this strange gnome-like procession wound its tortu- 
ous way up the mountainside until it reached a 
place where two paths diverged. Here Lady Yvette 
stopped, and here she developed her plan for the 
rescue of the Gascon knight and his company. She 
bade the captain of the guard take one path with 
the greater part of the men, while she, accompanied 
by a half-dozen men-at-arms, would take the higher 
road. In spite of Messire de Bonciel’s respectful 
remonstrances, she insisted on having her will, and 
made her way upward on foot over the slippery path 
by the shifting light of the moon, which became 
clearer as the vegetation grew scantier. 


92 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


Lady Yvette had hunted too often on the moun- 
tains not to he familiar with them. And so in the 
dead of night, preceded and followed by three men, 
each hearing a blazing torch to keep away the wolves, 
she climbed one of the lower peaks that overlook 
the circus of Gavarnie, wherein the English army 
lay trapped like a beast in its den. Well she knew 
the superstitious fears of the Navarrese and Spanish 
— indeed, she shared them herself — and her heart 
beat loud and fast with apprehension at her audacity 
in attempting to personate one of the white spirits 
in whom every Navarrese firmly believed. So she 
chanted a prayer clear and loud to frighten off all 
evil spirits, bidding her companions join her with 
all their strength of voice. 

And it was this hymn that had floated downward 
to the sentinels and made them gaze upward in 
fearsome awe at the tall, slender figure poised so 
lightly on the projecting crag. Fortunately for 
her plans, the wind had not arisen until after her 
appearance; and as she had anticipated, the sen- 
tinels were made dumb with fright at so uncanny 
a sight. 

At the same time Messire de Bonciel made his 
entrance into the arena, and succeeded in effecting 
a rescue without an encounter with the Spanish and 
Navarrese. As has already been seen, the stratagem 
was successful. All escaped, even the wounded 
men, the latter being put upon mountain ponies. 


THE RESCUE. 


93 


which were carefully led down the steep descent to 
the plains below. 

Eecognizing Messire de Bonciel, Sir Gaston eagerly 
inquired how he had heard of their plight and how 
so bold a plan of rescue had been conceived. And 
when Messire de Bonciel told him he had but exe- 
cuted the commands of Lady Yvette, and described 
her perilous midnight climb up the mountainside, 
the Gascon knight bowed his head in reverie, while 
a great joy filled his heart, for surely it must have 
been love that inspired the Maid of Bocasse with so 
bold and cunning a plan, the execution of which had 
been so successful. 

Then he begged to be conducted to the Lady 
Yvette, that he might return thanks and render 
homage to a lady so brave, so true, so noble. 

But she could not be found. Having accom- 
plished her object, she had ridden fast back to the 
chateau, whither the wounded love and pride of the 
Gascon knight forbade him follow her. 


CHAPTER VII. 


AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. 

Bordeaux was alert with expectancy. The war 
in Spain, as was then believed, had ended success- 
fully for Don Pedro, thanks to his English allies; 
and Don Pedro, sumamed the Cruel, on account of 
his atrocities, was again seated on the throne of 
Leon and Castile. 

The Black Prince and his army were hourly ex- 
pected to make a triumphant entry into Bordeaux. 
The Abbey of St. Andrew’s, where the English 
prince had so often held court and where he had 
entertained his illustrious captive. King John of 
France, was the scene of the busiest preparation. 
The beautiful Princess of Wales and Lady of Aqui- 
taine was eagerly awaiting her lord’s home-coming, 
for she dearly loved her handsome, noble, and chi- 
valric husband, the Black Prince. 

Over the ridge of a wooded hill appeared the ad- 
vance guard of the returning army. Shield and hel- 
met glittered in the bright morning sunlight, and 
horse and rider breathed with satisfaction the crisp 
air as they descended the wooded hillside that led to 


V 


AT THE COURT OP BORDEAUX. 


95 


the plains below. Beyond glistened the yellow Ga- 
ronne, and beyond the river, golden in the sunlight, 
rose a goodly array of fretted Gothic steeples high 
above the peaked roofs of the dwellings. 

The country round about was desolate and bare. 
Here and there in the almost barren fields were 
peasants digging in the sunburnt clods ; a witch of 
an old woman was tending a solitary cow, probably 
the most valuable possession of the family ; a single 
shepherd herded a few sheep, long in the legs, low in 
flesh, and dirty in fleece. The devastating hand of 
war had been laid heavily on all the surrounding 
country ; but at the same time the revels at St. An- 
drew's must be continued, and the reputation of the 
Black Prince for open-handedness must be sustained, 
though the peasant drop in his tracks like an over- 
driven beast of burden to pay for it all. In those 
days the poorer the subject, the higher in proportion 
the tax, for privileges he did not receive, for exemp- 
tions which he did not enjoy. The peasants lived 
on sufferance of the noblesse and were made to pay 
dearly for the concession. Though the peasantry 
and burgess of Bordeaux and its neighborhood hailed 
with exultant acclamations the arrival of the con- 
queror, his home-coming was but the precursor of a 
new tax — a hearth tax — a burden put upon the prov- 
inces recently dismembered from the Prench king- 
dom, a tax on Frenchmen to pay English soldiers to 
fight a Spanish prince’s battles. 


96 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


Don Pedro had failed to keep his promise in re- 
gard to the reward of the English Companies who 
had reinstated him on the throne of Castile and 
Leon, therefore the Black Prince was much embar- 
rassed ; for the leaders of the Free Companies were 
urgent for their pay, saying that if it were not soon 
forthcoming they would no longer be able to prevent 
their men from committing depredations upon the 
surrounding country. 

The princely revenues accruing from Wales were 
always anticipated by the extravagant, open-handed 
prince, while the income derived from Aquitaine 
was insufficient to maintain the sumptuous court at 
Bordeaux and also pay the expenses of foreign war- 
fare. Money must be raised, so the Black Prince 
revived an ancient tax called le fouage^ a tax that 
laid tribute on the fire that burned in every wretched 
hut of the poverty-stricken population of the Landes, 
on every fire that cooked the scanty meals of the 
shepherds, on every fire that warmed the chateaux 
of the impoverished Gascon nobles. 

Yet was the Black Prince jubilant, though he re- 
turned broken in health from a disease contracted 
in the enervating climate on the other side of the 
Pyrenees during the seasons of the heavy heats. 
The dreaded Bertrand du Guesclin, abandoned by 
most of the Free Companies who owed allegiance 
to the Black Prince and military service, when he 
had need of it, had been left with an army of but 


AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. 


97 


fifteen hundred men against one of twenty-seven 
thousand of the Black Prince. Henry of Transta- 
mare, at the head of a large force of undisciplined 
and inexperienced men, despite the entreaties of Sir 
Bertrand, had given battle to the English prince. 
The defeat of Navarette was the result, when the 
Breton knight had been taken prisoner. Therefore, 
though the English prince returned to Aquitaine 
broken in health and depleted in pocket, he had the 
proud satisfaction of having in his train as prisoner 
the man who was contesting his honors as the most 
puissant knight of the age. 

At that time the IBack Prince was in the prime 
of his manhood, being but little past thirty-five 
years of age, and in the height of his glory, having 
already proven himself a successful general, munifi- 
cent prince, generous benefactor, and liberal patron. 
He was renowned for the luxury of his court, for 
the splendor of his touniaments, for his lavish lar- 
gess, and his unstinted hospitality. In his court he 
was always a conspicuous figure, not only on account 
of his personal beauty and fine physique, but more 
particularly on account of his customary dress of 
black velvet, that was strongly marked in contrast 
with the gay costumes of his courtiers, who arrayed 
themselves in cloth of gold and silver, and in silk 
and velvet of every hue. 

One day after his return the prince felt unusually 
amiable, and thinking he would like to have a chat 
7 


98 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


with his distinguished prisoner, sent to have Sir 
Bertrand brought before him. Now, Sir John Chan- 
dos had strongly urged the Black Prince not to ran- 
som the Breton knight, as he regarded him a most 
powerful adversary ; so powerful, indeed, that he did 
not consider the English possessions in France secure 
so long as he was at liberty to head an army against 
the Black Prince. 

The contrast between the Black Prince and the 
Breton knight was striking. Instead of the elegant 
figure and gracious dignity of the English prince. 
Sir Bertrand had a broad figure of middle height, 
long arms, and small hands; while his complexion 
was brown, his nose flat, and his eyes green. Also 
was he rough in manner and somewhat rude in 
speech; but he was valorous and generous, a man 
of resources, subtle, prudent, wise, yet daring, never 
turning back nor leaving unaccomplished anything 
he had set out to do. 

“How are you. Sir Knight?” asked the Black 
Prince when Sir Bertrand was ushered into his pres- 
ence. 

“My lord,” replied Sir Bertrand, “never was I bet- 
ter. I cannot otherwise than be well, for though in 
prison, I am the most honored knight in the world.” 

“How so? ” exclaimed the prince in surprise. 

“They say in France,” answered Sir Bertrand, 
“ and also in other countries, that you are so much 
afraid of me, and have such a dread of my gaining 


AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. 99 

my liberty, that you dare not set me free; and this 
is the reason why I think myself so much valued 
and honored.” 

“ What ! ” thundered the prince, his pride in arms 
at once, as Sir Bertrand meant that it should be, 
“do you imagine. Sir Bertrand, that we keep you a 
prisoner for fear of your prowess ? ” 

“So ’tis said, my lord,” replied Sir Bertrand, 
coolly. 

“ To show those who say thus their mistake, you 
shall be free; set your own ransom,” replied the 
prince, haughtily. 

Now Sir Bertrand was not going to let the prince 
think he valued himself any less highly than did 
France, therefore he replied with equal haughti- 
ness: 

“Not less than for a hundred thousand francs 
(equal to more than a million francs of the present 
time), will I take my freedom.” 

“ Where will you get so large a sum ? ” asked the 
prince, in amazement. 

Thereupon the Breton knight replied grandly : 

“ My lord the king of Castile will pay one -half ; 
the king of France, the other ; and if that be not 
enough, there is not a Frenchwoman who can spin 
who would not ply her distaff to my ransom ! ” 

The Breton knight was immediately given his 
liberty on parole that he might raise this princely 
ransom, which he did in due time, and again entered 


l«of C 


100 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


the service of the French king to the detriment of 
the English interests in France. 

It was after Sir Bertrand’s departure from Bor- 
deaux that one morning Sir Gaston was sitting in 
his window watching the bustle of the busy market- 
place, and moodily thinking of the disappointment he 
had met in the lack of substantial recognition of his 
services in Spain by the Black Prince, and debating 
whether he should not abandon his fief in Gascony 
and offer his services to King Charles of France, 
who had bitterly resented the dismemberment of his 
kingdom. He was aroused from his reflections by 
the clatter of horse hoofs on the stone-paved court 
below. The horsemen pulled up before the door of 
the inn, and Sir Gaston recognized in them three of 
his compatriots, good comrades and stanch friends. 

They called out his name, and Sir Gaston sent 
Kaimond below to invite them to come up, and also 
to order refreshment for their attendants, after send- 
ing up wine for himself and guests. 

“Why art thou not at the Abbey, where mon- 
seigneur holds high court to-day? ” shouted out Mes- 
sire de Cor^ze, a battle-scarred knight of middle age, 
who was the first to enter the apartment, just as he 
was the first to enter an affray or battle. 

“ His highness can well dispense with the attend- 
ance of us Gascons,” replied Sir Gaston, bitterly. 

“ Nom du diable! thou hast reason,” responded 
another of the three visitors, a man considerably 


AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. 101 

younger than Messire de Corfeze, although his face 
was also seamed with long healed wounds. 

“ The prince shows no favor to his Gascon vassals,” 
muttered the third, a fellow of towering height and 
herculean strength. “Valor is of no account in a 
Gascon! But there is still more to come! ’Twas 
scurvy enough to tax further the wretched manants, 
but to expect us seigneurs to make our hearthstones 
pay his English hordes, ’tis not to be borne ! Tenez^ 
we have a plan to propose ! ” 

They all sat on the bench, their heads close to- 
gether, and they talked earnestly and long, though 
in subdued tones. So engrossed were they that their 
flagons of wine sat untouched upon the table where 
they had been put by one of the inn’s serving-men 
soon after their entrance. Though their voices were 
subdued, frequent exclamations and emphatic ges- 
tures betrayed their strong feeling. 

The Gascon visitors of Sir Gaston rode away from 
his lodgings and out the city gates into the open 
country, and were seen no more about Bordeaux for 
many a day. 

Messire d’Ambricicourt went his way as usual, 
attending court daily, playing draughts, gambling 
with the dice, and joining in the hunts. But he 
was far from content. English dominance was gall- 
ing. English boast outvied Gascon brag. More 
even than that, the Islanders wanted to appropriate 
all the spoils ! Then there was that which was even 


102 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


more galling to his pride: the memory of his dis- 
comfiture at Bocasse, his debt to the fair ch§,telaine 
— a debt she would not permit him to liquidate ; in- 
stead, had laid him under new obligations and had 
scorned his thanks. 

Days passed. One morning a mounted messenger 
appeared at Sir Gaston’s lodgings and demanded to 
have speech with the Sieur d’Ambricicourt. On 
being admitted to the knight’s presence, he mur- 
mured these words : 

“ The time has arrived. Come ! ” 

Then, without another word or sign, he de- 
parted. 

Sir Gaston did not present himself at court that 
day, nor the next, nor yet the next. Then the Black 
Prince remarked upon his absence. Inquiry was 
made at his lodgings to know why Messire de’Am- 
bricicourt had not waited upon his royal highness, 
as usual. The answer came that the noble knight 
had departed over a week ago to visit his chateau. 

To leave the court without permission of the 
prince was regarded as something approaching trea- 
son. However, the prince soon forgot his vassal’s 
breach of loyalty, for he had something of far 
weightier importance to compel his attention. Two 
gentlemen — a doctor of laws and a knight — pre- 
sented themselves at St. Andrew’s with a summons 
from King Charles of France, politely requesting the 
company of the Black Prince at Paris, in order that 


AT THE COURT OP BORDEAUX. 103 

he might answer before a convention of his peers 
concerning certain griefs which through “weak ad- 
vice and wrong information, the prelates, barons, 
knights, and commons of the marches of Gascony, 
on the frontiers of our kingdom, have suffered at 
your hands, to our utter amazement.” 

The Black Prince had returned from Spain a sick 
man, and the heat of the southern side of the 
Pyrenees seemed not only to have entered his blood 
but his spirit also, for his anger blazed out mightily 
at this message from the King of France, to whom 
he owed no loyalty, borne as it was by so humble 
individuals as a knight and a doctor. 

Glancing hastily at the credentials presented him 
by the two messengers, the prince replied haughtily : 

“ We shall willingly attend on the appointed day 
at Paris, since the King of France sends for us; but 
it will be with helmet on head and sixty thousand 
men at our back ! ” 

The messengers were dismissed with the cus- 
tomary gifts ; but so wroth was the prince at the 
French king’s assumption of suzerainty over him, 
that he ordered the apprehension and imprisonment 
of the two messengers on some trifling pretext, lest 
the fact be published abroad and made merry over, 
that the puissant Prince of Wales, Lord of Aqui- 
taine, the victor of Crfeci and Poitiers, had tamely 
submitted to gross insult in his own palace. 

The absence of the Gascon knight was explained. 


104 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


There had been a movement started for concerted 
action on the part of the Gascon lords to rise and 
appeal to the King of France to espouse their cause 
and protect them against the exactions of their Eng- 
lish over-lord. Ko right, said they, had their hered- 
itary suzerain to acquit himself of his obligations 
toward any of his vassals ; that the dissociation of 
Gascony from the kingdom of France was not valid 
as it had not received the consent of the vassals, the 
obligation between lord and vassal being mutual. 
Charles V. was very glad to accept this view of the 
matter, and promised redress to the former vassals 
of the French crown, for he believed the time ripe 
to regain what his father had lost. Therefore, 
France was again in the throes of war. 

The Free Companies were rejoiced at the renewal 
of hostilities, for peace robbed them of their occupa- 
tion. In times of stress and strife they hired their 
lances to him who promised the biggest reward ; and 
backed by French gold. Sir Gaston soon found him- 
self at the head of a goodly company of tried men, 
to whom fear was unknown and death on the battle- 
field a foregone conclusion ; be it sooner or later did 
not much matter, so long as life was merry while it 
lasted. 

The strife waged was hot and fierce. The Prince 
of Wales lay between two foes, for the Castilians 
had again risen up in rebellion against Don Pedro ; 
and his brother Don Enriquez, who now occupied 


AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. 105 

the throne of Leon and Castile, had promised to aid 
Charles V. 

The French king, knowing that the English had 
lost heavily in Spain through fever and other com- 
plaints incident to a hot climate, and having the 
promise of the co-operation of the Free Companies, 
felt himself so secure that he had sent a declaration 
of war to Edward III., at Westminster, by so mean 
a messenger as a scullion, thereby showing his con- 
tempt for England and the English. Then, also, the 
Black Prince had refused the vicomty of Limoges to 
Charles le Mauvais, thus alienating that prince; 
while Charles V. had taken advantage of the oppor- 
tunity to attach that king to his cause by giving him 
the city of Montpelier. 

Under these favorable conditions the French 
fought hopefully and determinedly in their effort to 
win back the lost French possessions ; the English 
fought grimly and desperately to save a threatened 
principality. But Edward Prince of Wales and Lord 
of Aquitaine was no longer the puissant, victorious 
prince; sickness had made him suspicious and ir- 
ritable. He was 'anxious to return to England to 
secure the succession of the English crown to his 
young son, for the Black Prince knew he had not 
much longer to live and that the death of Edward 
III. was not far off. 

Raimond was now seeing something of real war- 
fare, for he was included in Sir Gaston’s company. 


106 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


which about this time was sent to St. Arnaud, a 
fortress that lay in the path of the English, and 
where it was necessary to detain the English army for 
a brief time, to give the French generals opportunity 
to fortify and victual several strongholds that lay in 
its rear. It was known that the town was really 
indefensible, on account of the weakness of its for- 
tifications, but it was absolutely necessary for the 
French to gain time ; therefore. Sir Gaston, who had 
gained the reputation of a valiant soldier, was sent 
to hold the place as long as possible, then to cut his 
way through the enemy best he might. In case he 
was taken prisoner, the king promised to furnish his 
ransom. 

Sir Gaston said it would not be a case for ransom. 
Either he would fight his way out, or would he die 
with sword in hand. Neither would he die alone, 
as there would be several of his foemen to bear him 
company. 

On his arrival in the town. Sir Gaston advised all 
who could, to depart, as it would be impossible to 
hold the place if the English troops were reinforced. 
The garrison, however, boastfully declared they 
could hold the town against the whole English army, 
and among themselves laughed at the knight’s fears. 
The citizens, therefore, decided to remain to protect 
their property. 

Sir Gaston ordered all valuables that could be re- 
moved to be conveyed to a place of safety outside 


AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. lOT 

the city, and also bade the monks that inhabited the 
abbey which formed a part of the wall to vacate it, 
as that portion of the wall would be more liable to a 
breach than at any other place. 

Before Sir Gaston had completed his precautionary 
measures, an army numbering about twelve thousand 
burghers appeared before the walls, having been sum- 
moned by their lord, the Count of Hainault, who 
was an ally of the English, to meet him in the vicin- 
ity of St. Arnaud. The burghers arrived a day too 
soon, and instead of awaiting the coming of their 
lord, they attacked the city gates, trying to force 
them. The French soldiers sallied forth and re- 
pelled the Hainaulters, driving them before their 
rapid charge and killing a large number of them. 

This victory convinced the garrison that they had 
not overrated their strength and that they could 
repel any attack of the enemy. So when the Count 
of Hainault himself appeared before the gates with 
three thousand men-at-arms, the garrison went for- 
ward with confidence to repulse the enemy. 

The Hainaulters took the barriers of the gates 
after a severe struggle, compelling the French to re- 
treat within the city. Swarming upon the walls 
upon both sides of the gates, they defended the ap- 
proach with great vigor, hurling down upon the foe 
great masses of stone, and shooting at them with 
arrows tipped with red-hot iron. So vigorous was 
the repulse that the enemy were compelled to with- 


108 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


draw from before the gates and to seek some place 
in the wall where it was possible to effect a breach. 
The attack was directed upon the abbey. Great bat- 
tering-rams were put into position and sent with 
crushing force against the walls. The old abbey 
proved vulnerable, as Sir Gaston had feared; and 
here he had massed his men to dispute the entrance 
of the enemy, even though they might succeed in 
effecting a breach. Great bags of earth had been let 
down over the walls to break the force of the batter- 
ing-rams, but these were cleared away, and shock 
after shock made the old abbey quiver upon its foun- 
dations, until at length the masonry began to give ; 
then came a deafening crash, followed by a fall of 
mortar, bricks, and stone; another and another, un- 
til the breach was large enough to admit several of 
the enemy abreast. Sir Gaston and his company 
were there to dispute every step. A desperate hand- 
to-hand encounter ensued. No quarter was given or 
asked. In poured the Hainaulters, despite the heroic 
efforts of Sir Gaston and his men to keep them out. 
Soon as the foremost men were cut down, others 
filled their place. The breach widened, and the be- 
siegers rushed into the city like an overwhelming 
flood. 

Sir Gaston saw the hopelessness of holding his 
position, so he withdrew quickly with two hundred 
of his men-at-arms and a number of Genoese cross- 
bowmen, with Eaimond, as usual, close at his heels. 



Page 109. 



AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. 109 

and raising his banner in the market-place, made 
there his last stand for life and honor. 

The Hainaulters were thirsting for the blood of 
those who had done so much hurt to their country- 
men the day before, and rushing forward in increas- 
ing numbers, drove the garrison through the crooked, 
narrow streets, hacking, cutting, and killing, giving 
no quarter, pursuing fugitives from street to street, 
even from house to house, until they reached the 
market-place, where Sir Gaston awaited them with 
his two hundred men-at-arms and his crossbowmen. 

Loud rang the market-place with the cries of the 
conquerors, with clash of steel as battle-axe cleft 
helmet and cuirass, with shrieks of the wounded, 
and with defiant shouts of the besieged. Desper- 
ately they fought, giving a blow for every one re- 
ceived, and sometimes two. Step by step were they 
driven backward, heaps of the slain arising on all 
sides. In the very hottest of the affray was Sir Gas- 
ton, swinging his battle-axe about him with telling 
effect. Down went his assailants one after another 
before the sweep of the mighty arms and deadly axe. 
Thick rained the lances against the desperate knight, 
who was no longer fighting to protect the city nor 
to save his life, but fighting for blood with all the 
bloodthirstiness of a ravening beast of prey. A 
lance struck his right arm ; he took his axe in the 
left. An arrow struck his wrist, breaking it, and 
put him at the mercy of his foeman. Quickly they 


110 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


pressed in about him. He fell, and his body was 
hidden from sight under those of his comrades who 
succumbed before the overwhelming numbers of the 
assailants. Those of the garrison who had so far 
escaped were now pursued and massacred. 

Eaimond, who had received a flesh wound, had 
baptized his sword in blood. He had kept near Sir 
Gaston all during the fray until the very last, when 
the Hainaulters had pressed so closely around the 
defenceless knight that rescue was impossible. No 
one had taken much notice of him. There was no 
glory in striking down a boy, neither much ransom 
in his capture. He made his way down a side street, 
and finding a door that had been broken in, slipped 
inside, hoping that he was safe. But the fury of 
the Hainaulters had not yet abated. Soon he saw 
smoke ascending skyward; then flames burst forth. 
Not content with slaying the inhabitants, they had 
applied the torch to the town. Warfare was then 
cruel, pitiless, inhuman. After sacking and burning 
the town, the enemy departed. 

Eaimond dragged himself to the half-ruined ab- 
bey, where, at least, he would be safe from fire. 
For days he lived there, finding food in the larders 
which the monks had left, until his wounds had 
sufficiently healed to enable him to travel. Believ- 
ing Sir Gaston to be dead, not yet strong enough for 
active service, he concluded to return to Bocasse, 
though he would be obliged to travel on foot, for he 


AT THE COURT OF BORDEAUX. Ill 

had lost everything save the clothes he stood in, 
except his armor. This he left in the abbey, for it 
would be of no use to him in his journey across the 
country, which was disrupted by war and over 
which the Free Companies roamed in search of 
booty. He could not travel as a squire ; he would 
be either slain or held for ransom. An idea seized 
him. He would appropriate one of the monks’ 
frocks that hung in the closets. His face was 
smooth, and by bringing the cowl well over his fore- 
head he could conceal the fact that his head was not 
shorn. 

Kaimond was a well-grown youth, and had no 
difficulty in finding* a frock that would fit him. He 
appropriated also a pouch such as mendicant friars 
carried, and in this guise set out for Bocasse, light 
in pocket but heavy at heart, for sorrowful indeed 
was he at the loss of his patron, the gallant Gascon 
knight. 

Footsore and weary was he ere half the distance 
between St. Amaud and Bocasse was traversed. 
Often went he without food or bed, living on the 
doles of benevolent strangers and sleeping where he 
could. Sometimes he came near falling into the 
enemies’ hands, though little would they concern 
themselves about a poor friar, unless in the way of 
sport. 

At length, toward the close of day, he joyfully as- 
cended the last hill that lay between him and his 


112 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


home. Once at the top, the town and castle of Bo- 
casse spreading out at its feet, instead of descending 
with light and nimble feet, he stood still and 
groaned, for a great and painful surprise awaited the 
arrival of the young squire. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


THE SUEPRISE. 

When war was renewed with the French, the 
Prince of Wales had proclaimed that all chateaux, 
fortresses, and towns taken by his captains should be 
their property. As Bocasse was a fertile domain, 
producing a goodly revenue, it was the desire of 
many a knight ; and it was not many months after 
the breaking out of hostilities, while the King of 
Navarre was up north aiding the French king, when 
an army was sitting down before its walls. 

Its chatelaine, however, had not been caught un- 
prepared. She knew that the fortunes of war are 
variable, and that she must depend upon herself and 
her people for safety. As soon as a report came 
that an armed force had appeared in the vicinity of 
Bocasse, she gave orders for the peasants to drive 
their cattle within shelter of the castle walls, where 
there was also refuge for themselves and their fam- 
ilies. The people of the town of Bocasse were ad- 
vised to bring their valuables to the donjon of the 
chateau for safe-keeping, or to take them to the 
church to be concealed within its vaults ; also to be 
8 


lU 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


on guard against a surprise, and, as many as would, 
to repair to the chS,teau on the first hint of a threat- 
ened attack. 

Chateau de Bocasse was a fair specimen of a 
French castle in the fourteenth century. In the 
centre was the donjon, or keep, where were stored 
the family records and treasure, and which was also 
intended as a last resort in case the chateau should 
be forced, as, being the highest and strongest tower, 
it was the least vulnerable. 

Surrounding the keep was a range of buildings in 
the form of a square, leaving an inner court between 
the buildings and the keep. In this range of build- 
ings were the family apartments. On the first floor 
of one side was the banqueting hall, its walls being 
decorated with armor, while carved joists supported 
the ceiling above. Over the banqueting hall were 
the chatelaine’s apartments ; in the larger room Lady 
Yvette would sit with her women while they all 
worked over their embroidery frames. Adjoining 
was her sleeping " closet ” ; beyond was a series of 
guest chambers. On another side of the square were 
the rooms devoted to the use of the officers of the 
household ; the remaining two sides were occupied 
by the chapel, the kitchen, and the quarters of the 
servants. 

Both inner and outer walls had crenelated battle- 
ments four feet high, with projecting turrets at the 
corners of the walls, and one in the middle of each 


THE SURPRISE. 


115 


side. The keep was twenty feet higher than the 
inner wall, which in turn was twelve feet higher 
than the outer wall, the latter being twelve feet thick 
and thirty feet high. The whole was surrounded 
by a moat containing from six to eight feet of 
water. 

From the above description of Bocasse it will be 
seen that the lady had nothing to fear save from an 
army regularly equipped with war engines and be- 
sieging apparatus. The garrison was small, it was 
true; but it consisted of well-tried men and was 
commanded by Messire de Bonciel, a most energetic 
and efficient captain. So the Lady Yvette rested 
reasonably secure in her fortress home, feeling fully 
competent to protect herself and her people against 
any depredating bands. 

The task of putting the castle into a state of de- 
fence had been a welcome one to the young chate- 
laine, for it caused a diversion of her thoughts. 
She had sorely missed her handsome Gascon guest 
and lover, much more than she was willing to ac- 
knowledge even to herself. Sometimes she re- 
proached herself for having ridden home from him 
that night when she had rescued him from the 
Spaniards and Navarrese without a word of greeting 
or parting; then she comforted herself with the 
thought that he would stop at Bocasse on his way 
back from Spain, to thank its lady for her very effi- 
cient help in time of dire need. As time passed. 


116 THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 

and he made no sign, her proud spirit rose up in 
arms. 

“In very truth,” she exclaimed, “it was the do- 
main he wanted, and not its lady! Had his true 
courtesy been as great as his courage, he would have 
requited himself of the obligation by returning 
thanks for his delivery to his deliverer ! But it is 
evident he thinks only of himself. He is no true 
knight ! ” 

This would she repeat again and again; still 
would her heart rebel against the conclusions of her 
pride, and still would she seek excuse for the hand- 
some Gascon knight. 

“ He was obliged to hasten on to Spain, and had 
no opportunity to visit at Bocasse; he will stop on 
his return after the trouble in Spain is over,” were 
the whisperings of her love. 

But the time came when the Black Prince and his 
men returned to Bordeaux, yet did not Sir Gaston 
appear and claim admittance to Chateau de Bocasse. 
Could it be that he had been killed, or had died of a 
fever on the other side of the Pyrenees? Or was he 
angry that the Maid of Bocasse had denied him her 
lands and her hand ? 

Then came the news of the Gascon revolt, fol- 
lowed by the business of putting the castle into a 
state of defence. And one day there came frightened 
peasants with their goods and children flocking to 
the chateau; and, later, some of the townspeople. 


THE SURPRISE. 


iir 

though most of them preferred to remain in the town 
to save what they could of their possessions. A 
money tribute might buy them immunity. So when 
an English captain of a Free Company, called Sir 
Hugh de Beverly, appeared with a large force, he 
was met by a deputation of the townspeople, who 
begged his clemency, and asked how little would 
satisfy his demands and save the town. The Eng- 
lish knight put the price so high that the people 
could not raise the amount, so the town was deliv- 
ered to the sack. 

In one of the turrets surmounting the walls. Lady 
Yvette beheld the extremity of the town. She had 
sent half of her garrison to its aid, but they had 
been overpowered, many of them being killed, the 
rest driven out of the neighborhood. 

Later came the attack on the chateau. First did 
Sir Hugh try to take the castle by escalade — that is, 
by scaling the walls. One night he had the moat 
filled with trees cut down from the mountainside ; 
these were covered with earth, thus affording a 
passage. All night the besiegers worked under 
cover of darkness in order to avoid the arrows of the 
archers stationed upon the castle walls. Early in 
the morning they crossed the moat and placed their 
ladders against the walls. Holding their shields 
above their heads, they attempted to mount the lad- 
ders. But great piles of stones had been placed at 
intervals along the walls, and these were hurled 


118 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


down on them through the loopholes. Great roaring 
fires had been lighted in the towers, and over them 
was heated the oil that was even more deadly in 
effect than the huge stones. The women were by 
no means idle. Under the direction of the young 
chatelaine, they prepared the fire-balls of hemp satu- 
rated with oil, and lighted them for the archers to 
drop on the ascending men. 

It did not take long for Sir Hugh de Beverly to 
find out, as Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt had done be- 
fore him, that Chateau de Bocasse could not be taken 
by escalade. So he had recourse to a great stone- 
throwing engine, one capable of projecting stones 
weighing a hundred pounds ; but the inhabitants of 
the chateau kept behind its thick walls, upon which 
the stones made little impression. 

The following day the besiegers remained inactive ; 
the reason therefor was seen the next morning, when 
a huge structure on wheels was pushed in front of 
the walls. This erection consisted of several stories, 
the top one protected by a roof, but not so high as 
the castle walls. These covered platforms were filled 
with archers, who shot steadily at the men who ap- 
peared upon the walls as well as at the loopholes. 
Under cover of the movable tower, a huge battering- 
ram manned by fifty men was directed against the 
solid masonry. The shock was terrific, but no im- 
pression was made upon the castle. Again and 
again they charged, but the walls resisted every 


THE SURPRISE. 


119 


shock. Meanwhile the arrows flew back and forth 
overhead. The archers on the walls could not reach 
the men at the battering-ram without firing down 
from over the battlements, for they were out of range 
of the loopholes, and as soon as a head appeared 
above the crenelated battlements it was pierced by 
an arrow sent from the tower. The attack continued 
without other result all that day, but was not re- 
newed the next morning. There was no sign from 
the enemy’s camp that day, nor the following, 
nor still the next, nor for a week. Evidently they 
were going to try to starve the castle into capitu- 
lation. 

Then was all vigilance exercised within the walls 
to guard against surprise. Orders were issued that 
under no pretext or for any reason whatever should 
any one be admitted, not even an envoy from the 
town or abbey, nor any one who might promise to 
bring them supplies, as such ones might be agents 
of the enemy seeking to take the castle by stratagem 
— not even, should the enemy withdraw; for the 
withdrawal might be nothing but a ruse. 

The excitement brought back the flash to the 
chatelaine’s beautiful eyes, that had been somewhat 
dimmed since the departure of her rejected lover, for 
regret was still battling with pride in the heart of 
the haughty young woman. The castle was well 
provisioned, and the besiegers could ill afford to 
spend so much time before its walls, when richer 


120 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


prizes were to be had, those stirring times, for less 
time and trouble. And thus the days passed. 

One early morning Lady Yvette was passing 
through the courtyard, when she stopped before a 
tub of water that had been put there for the dogs to 
drink from. She gazed at it intently for a few mo- 
ments, and then bade a page who attended her seek 
Messire de Bonciel and request him to come hither 
at once. The captain of the guard was not long in 
responding to the summons. Lady Yvette did not 
utter a word, but pointed to the water in the tub, 
that was vibrating as if the tub were being shaken. 

“ Nom du diaUe ! ” exclaimed the captain. “ A 
mine ! ” 

That was the only explanation of the moving 
water. The enemy were undermining the walls, 
and must now be at work very near, perhaps under 
that very tub of water. 

It did not take long for Messire de Bonciel to 
call his men and to set sappers at work to counter- 
mine. The men-at-arms were bidden prepare for a 
desperate struggle. All the women and children 
were ordered to take refuge in the keep, as were also 
the old and wounded men. The male portion of the 
peasants were directed to mass within the inner 
court, and to arm themselves as best they could. 
Even if the outer line of walls were passed, Messire 
de Bonciel hoped to defend successfully the inner 
line. StiU, unless the enemy were headed off, it 


THE SURPRISE. 


121 


looked serious for the inhabitants of the chateau on 
account of the disparity between the two forces. 

It was already too late. The mine had progressed 
too far. Suddenly a rumble was heard, followed by 
a terrific crash ; a part of the outer wall had fallen. 
Through the breach swarmed the English, and a ter- 
rible hand-to-hand fight ensued. At length Messire 
de Bonciel gave the signal to withdraw within the 
inner court. The garrison, or what remained of it, 
rushed to the gate, which was opened from within. 
The captain of the guard, with a number of his men- 
at-arms, held the enemy at bay while their compan- 
ions found safety within the inner court. After all 
were inside the gate, these brave men backed step 
by step, defending themselves manfully all the 
while. They were almost in^de, the portcullis was 
ready to descend, when, with a rush and a cry. Sir 
Hugh de Beverly and his followers made a dash, 
and succeeded in getting inside before the iron gate 
was let down. The inner court then became the 
scene of another fearful struggle. The garrison were 
at every disdvantage, not only because small in 
number, but they were embarrassed in their move- 
ments by the peasants, who ran hither and thither, 
mad with fright. 

At length, wounded and bleeding, Messire de 
Bonciel was obliged to surrender. Seeing their 
leader a prisoner, the garrison retreated to the don- 
jon. Then Sir Hugh called upon the captain to 


122 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


order the surrender of the garrison also. The brave 
gentleman said he must first consult his lady, for 
the donjon was strong and his men were not all dead 
or wounded. 

“ She shall have one hour to deliberate,” said Sir 
Hugh. “ Meantime we will refresh ourselves 
within ” ; and he pointed to the living-rooms. 

Lady Yvette was for holding out. The donjon 
walls were massive and strong ; with the remnant of 
the garrison there, the enemy would have to fight 
hard to take it. But Messire de Bonciel pointed out 
to the lady the hopelessness of the situation. He 
himself was a prisoner on parole, the garrison might 
not be able to hold the keep, neither were the pro- 
visions sufficient to last many days to feed so large 
a number. By yielding now, she would make better 
terms for herself and her people than by prolonging 
the struggle. 

“Procure the best terms you can,” she said at last, 
yielding much against her will, “and report to me.” 

A few moments of the allotted hour still remained, 
and these were utilized by Messire de Bonciel in 
having his wounds dressed by the leech, or surgeon. 
When the hour was up, he sent a page to Sir Hugh 
de Beverly, saying that the Lady of Bocasse had a 
communication to make to him through her captain 
of the guard, Messire de Bonciel. 

“ Late captain of the late guard, would better de- 
scribe his ofi&ce, methinks,” said Sir Hugh de Bev- 


THE SURPRISE. 


123 


erly, with a chuckle. “ Say to the gentleman who 
lately commanded what no longer exists, that I 
await the communication of his lady.” 

It was with much difficulty and through much 
pain that Messire de Bonciel made his way to the 
banqueting hall, where the Eed Knight was regaling 
himself with food and drink. 

“Well, what hath thy lady to say?” asked Sir 
Hugh, indifferently. 

“ My lady bids me ask you. Sir Knight, if you will 
accept a large treasure and leave Bocasse in peace.” 

“Say to thy lady that Sir Hugh will take both 
treasure and castle, whether peaceably or forcibly is 
for her to decide,” replied the English knight, 
coolly, taking a deep draught from a silver tankard 
that stood on the table beside him. 

“The donjon is strong. Sir Knight; the garrison 
sturdy, though reduced in number, and time is pre- 
cious. While you are consuming the days here, 
richer booty, no doubt, awaits you elsewhere,” urged 
Messire de Bonciel. 

“What you say is true. Too much time has 
already been wasted here before the castle. I will 
permit no more delay. Either your lady surrenders 
at once or the donjon shall be stormed and taken be- 
fore I sleep. In the latter case, no life will be 
spared, not even that of your lady or her women, 
not even of any child.” 

It was with a heavy heart that Messire de Bon- 


124 : 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


ciel returned to the donjon, where Lady Yvette im- 
patiently awaited him. 

“What is your news? ” she asked eagerly, as soon 
as he entered her presence. 

“Unconditional surrender, or death to every one,” 
he replied despondently. 

“ Never will the Lady of Bocasse yield to such 
humiliating terms ! ” she exclaimed. “ Bather would 
I die! A thousand deaths would I suffer rather 
than endure such ignominy ! ” 

“ To die is easy — for one’s self, my lady ; but in 
dying yourself you condemn to death many that you 
would prefer should live.” 

“ Let him who would surrender do so ! Even my 
friend and my dear late father’s friend ! ” she ex- 
claimed, pointing imperiously to the door. 

“ Does my late lord’s daughter address such words 
to me, her loyal servitor, even though he has failed 
in defending his trust? ” asked Messire de Bonciel, 
reproachfully. 

“ But it is thou who urge upon me this hateful 
thing,” she answered, softened at once. 

“It is because there is nothing else,” he rejoined, 
dejectedly. “They are many; we are few. They 
can undermine the donjon, and we cannot prevent 
them. We are lost. Surrender now, and your fate 
will be less dreadful than another defeat would make 
it. Death might be tardy in coming.” 

His words were full of dire meaning Lady 


THE SURPRISE. 


125 


Yvette shuddered. She paced the floor agitatedly 
for a few moments, then stopped before him and 
said: 

“These are my last words: If all who would 
shall be permitted to leave the castle, taking with 
them what each may carry, horses to be allowed me 
and my women and such of the garrison who are 
able to accompany me, all who remain to be spared 
in life and goods, being permitted to return peace- 
ably to their several vocations, then will the Lady 
of Bocasse yield, but on no other conditions. Bather 
will we shut ourselves up in the donjon, holding out 
to the last; then each killing himself to avoid that 
which would be worse.” 

Again Messire de Bonciel sought Sir Hugh, re- 
peating his instructions. 

“It is for conquerors to make conditions,” said Sir 
Hugh. “However, tell your lady with her alone 
will I treat. Let her come hither. If we may not 
agree to terms, she shall be free to return to the 
donjon without let or hindrance.” 

The Bed Knight took little thought of the fair 
sex. He mingled little in the society of women ; to 
him they were of no more importance than any other 
necessary being. He had not married, though nearly 
forty years of age. He was thinking of it now, as 
an heir of his own blood to his name and many 
holdings was a desirable thing. Yet, despite his 
indifference to feminine beauty, the appearance be- 


126 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


fore him of Lady Yvette in a costume of silk and 
fur, flashing with jewels, beautiful, regal, haughty, 
in perfect health, almost as tall as he himself, meet- 
ing his bold gaze firmly, unflinchingly, calmly — gave 
rise to a very peculiar sensation in his heart, a sen- 
sation unfamiliar but not at all unpleasant. For the 
first time had he awakened to admiration for a wo- 
man higher than that for a dog or a horse. 

Sir Hugh de Beverly — or the Bed Knight as he 
was called on account of the color of his coat-of- 
arms* — on the contrary, had no claim to good looks. 
He was gaunt in stature, though possessed of great 
strength. He was coarse in feature and rude of 
manner. It was his boast that he could eat as much 
as four men and drink as much as ten. When the 
young chatelaine appeared before him he was im- 
pressed by her beauty, by the dignity of her bear- 
ing, by the richness of her dress; thereupon he 
straightway decided not only to take the chateau 
but everything connected with it, its chatelaine in- 
cluded. 

Sir Hugh was not a man to waste words. 

“ The chatelaine of Bocasse is worthy the domain. 
It were a pity to rob each of the other,” he said as 
he surveyed the young girl with eyes full of rude 
admiration. “Therefore will I not part them.” 

The heart of Lady Yvette beat high with hope. 

* The coat-of-arms was a garment worn over the suit of mail, 
and on which was embroidered the knight’s crest. 


THE SURPRISE. 


127 


“The lady shall go with the castle,” he continued. 
“ Praise be to the saints, I am not yet married. Let 
the father be summoned, and he shall make thee my 
wife.” 

Lady Yvette regarded the speaker with mingled 
astonishment and indignation. 

“My lord may have captured the chateau, but 
he has yet to take the lady ! ” And Lady Yvette 
turned her back upon Sir Hugh and walked 
out of the apartment, holding her head very high 
and straight, and looking neither to the right nor 
the left. 

“ Par les comes du diaUe ! ” exclaimed the knight. 
“My lady is somewhat testy.” 

He sat quietly in his chair for a while, then bade 
Vivien de Sellac, a favorite squire, seek Messire de 
Bonciel and inform him that he might tell his lady 
that Sir Hugh would accede to her terms. She and 
her people would be permitted to leave the castle, 
bearing with them as much as they could carry; 
she, her women, and wounded men to be allowed 
horses ; the men-at-arms to go out in their armor, 
and the town of Bocasse to be exempt from further 
ill. However, he would counsel the Lady Yvette 
to wait till morning before setting out on her jour- 
ney, as the day was already far spent. 

All that night Lady Yvette and her people were 
engaged in packing up their most valuable posses- 
sions in as small a compass as possible, and at day- 


128 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


break the next morning a small party on horseback 
emerged from the gates of the castle, heavily laden, 
but with heavier hearts. 

There were but few men-at-arms to escort the 
banished chatelaine, for most of the garrison re- 
mained at the chateau either dead or too badly 
wounded to be able to sit a horse, the Eed Knight 
having promised that all the sick should be cared 
for and given their liberty without ransom, so soon 
as they were sufficiently recovered to travel. Great 
was the surprise among the followers of the Eed 
Knight at his generous terms, as he usually ex- 
acted the last denier from all who came within 
his power. 

“’Tis the lady’s fair face,” was the explanation 
passed from mouth to mouth. 

Messire de Bonciel advised his lady to seek refuge 
at the court of the King of Navarre; accordingly, 
they took the road to N^rac. They travelled all 
day, expecting to reach their destination the second 
afternoon. Just as the fast-sinking sun was glint- 
ing the thatched peaked roofs of the outlying build- 
ings of the village where they expected to pass the 
night, they heard the clatter of hoofs behind them. 
Glancing back, they saw they were being pursued by 
a large body of horsemen. Suddenly there came 
the command to halt. Instead, Messire de Bonciel 
seized his lady’s bridle rein, and putting spurs to his 
horse, galloped away with her at full speed, leaving 



Messire Bonciel Seized His Lady’s Bridle Rein and, Putting Spurs to His Horse 

Galloped Away at Full Speed." 







I 


THE SURPRISE. 


129 


the rest of the party behind. Beyond the village, 
on the hillside, stood a monastery ; his purpose was 
to reach it and claim sanctuary for his lady and 
himself. Swiftly flew the horses, in spite of their 
long day’s journey; furiously followed three horse- 
men in close pursuit. Through the village, knock- 
ing down little children, trampling upon dogs, who 
were too dazed by the sudden charge of flying hoofs 
to get out of the road, up the hillside, sped the 
horsemen, two in advance, but the three in the rear 
close behind. Messire de Bonciel’s wound broke 
out afresh and began to bleed profusely, but he did 
not know it. His steed flagged, but he dug the 
spurs deeper into his already lacerated flanks. 
Seeming to understand what was expected of him, 
the noble animal exerted all his fast-failing strength 
and leaped forward fleeter than ever. A few rods 
farther and they would be safe ; but the horse stag- 
gered, drew himself up once more, and plunged for- 
ward, blinded by approaching death ; then stumbled, 
caught himself again, only, however, to fall, to 
breathe once or twice, then to stiffen in his death 
agony, his rider beneath him. 

Lady Yvette did not stop. She scarcely noticed 
what had happened. Her one idea was to reach 
safety. Her own horse was failing. When just in 
front of the monastery gate, already calling " Sanc- 
tuary! Sanctuary!” her bridle-rein was seized on 
both sides by two men, and her horse was brought 
9 


130 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


to a standstill. Then a third man lifted her from 
her horse on to his own, putting her in front of him. 
The color of his coat-of-arms was red, and he hissed 
into her ear these words : 

" Whatever Sir Hugh de Beverly wills is done ! ” 


CHAPTER IX. 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 

If there had been any one about when Eaimond 
reached that point on the hillside whence could be 
seen the town and chateau of Bocasse, there would 
have been two surprised individuals instead of one ; 
for it was not a common occurrence to see a frocked 
friar go leaping, running, and singing along his road ; 
neither were the ease and grace of the motions of the 
supposed friar enhanced by the somewhat ample 
folds of the frock, which, becoming entangled in his 
scabbard’s point, would ever and anon almost throw 
him over on his nose. Eaimond had felt that the 
end of his hardships and perils was nigh ; all he had 
to do was to present himself at the castle gates to 
receive a hearty welcome and substantial cheer. He 
had dropped the role of a mendicant friar before he 
had discarded the dress, and therefore was it that a 
chance observer would have felt somewhat bewil- 
dered at the strange actions of the supposed friar on 
reaching the top of the hill. The chanson ceased 
abruptly on a high note with the singer’s jaws 
stretched to their widest capacity; the skirt, which 


132 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


for convenience’s sake had been held up on either 
side, and now dropping limply from the nerveless 
hands, was caught up by the sword-hilt, giving a 
side view of the wearer’s legs, that were not at all 
in keeping with the priestly garb ; the cowl that was 
jauntily poised over one eye revealed on the other 
side the long, curling brown hair that did not be- 
speak the tonsured pate of a monk. 

He pushed back the hood altogether from his head, 
and looked hard at the smoke-blackened town that 
he had left so short a time before comparatively 
prosperous and happy; then his gaze went to the 
camp in front of the walls of the chateau, and he 
tried to read the device on the fluttering banners 
and pennons, but they were too distant even for his 
sharp sight to distinguish. From town to castle, 
from castle to town, wandered his gaze. Suddenly 
he squatted himself down disconsolately in the mid- 
dle of the dusty road, put his elbows on his knees, 
rested his chin in his hands, and still gazed. Save 
in those slowly moving eyes, there seemed to be no 
more animation in that human heap than in one of 
the rocks by the roadside. Presently it was slightly 
agitated by the inhaling of a deep, full breath, and 
while expelling it, the lips formed the words : 

“ Nom du diaUe ! ” 

Then again he looked steadily before him, again 
so motionless that a bird, who had been eying him 
inquiringly from an overhanging branch, fluttered 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 


133 


down and stationed itself in the road before the boy, 
blinking bis little bright eyes with a quizzical air, 
as if in amusement at the whole proceedings. The 
little bird peeped and chirped, twittered and pecked, 
still the boy did not even glance at him. Again 
came a deep inspiration, the expiration being accom- 
panied by the words : 

“ Mori de ma vie ! ” 

And still he sat and gazed, but the little bird flew 
away to a branch away up in the air. 

“ Bocasse ! To the rescue ! ” And springing to 
his feet, the boy fairly flew down the hillside, his 
long gown almost throwing him more than once by 
twisting about his sword and legs. What caused 
this sudden display of agility was the sight of a 
battering ram, carried by half a hundred men, being 
jammed against the castle walls. He knew the gar- 
rison was small, and that if the walls should suc- 
cumb to the onslaught, it would be all over with the 
inhabitants of Bocasse. 

Down the hillside he ran, across the fields, until 
almost on the edge of the camp, when he suddenly 
remembered his disguise. He pulled the hood of 
his frock over his head and down about the eyes, he 
disentangled his skirt from his sword hilt, and, as- 
suming a heavy, lumbering gait, went about the 
hangers-on of the camp, begging alms in the whin- 
ing tones of a professional mendicant. 

“My son, what hast thou to give to the church? ” 


134 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“My daughter, make thy peace with the saints 
while there is yet time. The sins of the faithful 
are forgotten when the church intercedes. But 
why should she concern herself about one who 
has no thought or gift for her? Come, what will 
you give ? ” concluded he, addressing a group col- 
lectively. 

“ Faith, not a denier to such as thou who wear the 
frock with so ill a grace,” exclaimed a woman. 

“ Tiens, daughter, the grace of a friar is from 
within, not without,” declared the supposed friar. 

“Tis little grace thee has inside or outside, I’m 
thinking,” put in a man, “and little will the church 
benefit by what goes into thy pouch.” 

“ Par die f that which goes into my pouch may 
later on go into my stomach, greatly to its comfort 
and refreshment.” 

''Mordieu, but thou’rt new to the trade, or thou’d 
not speak up so frankly,” replied the man. 

“In very truth so new, I wish I were newer and 
had never entered it. ’Tis ill work travelling on an 
empty stomach ! ” 

“There’s plenty to eat here,” struck in one of the 
women. 

“No, no, daughter, I must not break bread yet. 
I must go farther and, perhaps, fare worse ; ” and 
with a few muttered words as if in blessing, he with- 
drew. He lounged about the camp questioning this 
one and that, till he had gained much valuable in- 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 


135 


formation. By the time night had come, he saw 
the futility of the enemy’s attempts to batter down 
the walls, and he decided the only way left them 
was to take the chateau by stratagem, which he 
knew would be almost impossible so long as his 
uncle was in command of the guard ; or else to starve 
them into surrender, and that he meant to prevent by 
bringing reinforcements from the army of the King 
of Navarre. 

He slept that night in the camp, stealing away at 
daybreak, going back over the road by which he 
had just come. He hoped to meet a French or Gas- 
con company of men-at-arms, whose aid he could 
enlist in his lady’s behalf by the promise of big 
largess. 

It was weary travelling. His shoes were worn, 
and his feet were bruised and blistered ; he found no 
huts where he could beg bread or refuge, for the 
whole country had been ravaged by companies of 
freebooters ; even the huts of those who had given 
him food on his late journey were now nothing but 
blackened ruins. Once he heard from a wayfarer 
like himself that a company of English were travel- 
ling northward by the same road Raimond had 
taken, and fearing lest he be overtaken, his disguise 
penetrated, and himself captnred, he took a wide 
detour and lost his way. Thus he journeyed many 
days, living on little or nothing. Once he stopped 
at a monastery and begged food and shelter for the 


136 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


night. He told the whole truth about himself, and 
as he was in Gascony, the sympathy of the brothers 
was with him and his lady, and when he departed 
the next morning it was with bread and money in 
his pouch. 

Some days later he came upon a ruined village on 
a river’s edge in Aquitaine, the enemy’s country; 
the mud huts were roofless, the thatch having been 
fired, the streets were deserted, no sign of human 
being was visible, only dogs basking in the sun- 
shine, their bones seeming ready to break through 
the skin for very leanness. He rested himself 
a while in one of the huts ; then going down to the 
riverside, he saw a shed under which was a flat-bot- 
tomed boat. As the river flowed in a northerly di- 
rection, he concluded to take to it, for a time at least, 
in order to save his feet. He found a pair of oars, 
launched his boat, stepped in, and pulled off. The 
change was an agreeable one, but his stomach was 
very empty, as he had eaten all his bread and had 
not visited any place where he could buy more, so 
iieavy had the hand of war been laid upon the neigh- 
borhood. He kept a lookout for any human habita- 
tion he might pass, but the afternoon sun was warm, 
he was weary and occasionally his head would nod 
and his eyes close in sleep. Suddenly he awakened 
with a start. He sat up straight and looked about 
him. On one side of the river were high limestone 
cliffs; on the other, rolling meadows. His eyes. 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 


isr 


heavy with sleep and dazed by the bright sunlight, 
scarcely took heed of what they dimly saw, till he 
was further aroused by a loud cry : 

"Help!” 

It was a cry of distress. Eaimond looked hur- 
riedly about him. It seemed to come from the face 
of the cliffs. Then he saw that the cliffs had open- 
ings in them, and that the lower one was reached by 
a narrow ascending ledge, and that the cry seemed 
to come from that opening. 

Again and again was the cry repeated. It was a 
dangerous thing to do, but Eaimond was a youth to 
act first and think afterward, so he rowed toward the 
ledge, stepped up on it, and pulling his boat after 
him lest it be carried away by the current and leave 
him stranded there, peered into the circular open- 
ing. It was so dark within that he could discern 
nothing clearly ; so he entered. He made no sound, 
though the cries of distress continued ; yet, not know- 
ing what he might chance upon within, he returned 
no answer. What was his astonishment to find that 
the opening gave entrance into a stable hewn out of 
the rock. Even the mangers were carved out of the 
stone walls. The stalls were empty, but showed 
that they had been recently inhabited by four-footed 
occupants. 

Eaimond stood still and gazed about him. Above 
was a perpendicular well-like boring, and through it 
hung a rude rope ladder; below there was a similar 


138 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


opening, evidently a well. Through the upper open- 
ing came the exclamation : 

“ Que Dim soil heni ! ” 

Eaimond glanced upward and saw a white face 
peering down at him through the opening. 

"What is the matter? ” asked the boy. 

" He is dead ! Save me ! ” 

"Save thee from what? ” 

" From their vengeance ! ” came in a hurried whis- 
per. 

"From whose vengeance? ” asked Eaimond. 

"What does that matter? Wilt thou save me or 
not? Decide quickly, or it will be too late.” 

"Too late for wliat?^” 

" A pest on thy questions ! The devil take thee ! ” 
and the face disappeared. 

Eaimond cogitated a few seconds. The rope lad- 
der dangled temptingly before his eyes. What 
awaited him above? Should he ascend? Why not? 
There was but one death to die. 

So he nimbly climbed the rope ladder, and soon 
found himself in the second story of this strange 
cave dwelling. As he stepped up on to the stone 
floor, he started back in dismay, narrowly escaping 
a fall through the hole, when life would have been 
over with him, for he was confronted by the strangest- 
looking figure he had ever seen. He could not tell 
whether it was that of a child or a gnome ; he was 
inclined to believe it to be that of an evil sprite that 


PROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 


139 


had lured him up there to feed upon his flesh at 
leisure. The figure was small and stout, the head 
seeming to grow out of the breast on account of the 
stoop of the shoulders. The face was round, but of 
a death-like pallor; the nose large and flat, the lips 
full and protruding. The arms were long, the hands 
white and claw-like. He was crouching before Eai- 
mond, and looked like some fabled monster, half- 
man, half-beast. The similarity was heightened by 
a crescent-like structure he wore on top of the small 
cap, that covered his head and which rose up back 
of his forehead in the shape of horns. The cham- 
ber was lighted by a pine torch dipped in pitch, and 
the lurid glare was reflected in the gems that adorned 
his garb, which was of a fantastic nature. One-half 
the body of his doublet was pink, the other half 
blue; one sleeve was white, the other yellow; one 
leg of the skin-tight hose that extended up to his 
thighs was green, the other purple ; his long pointed 
shoes were red; his cap was of black velvet, orna- 
mented by a large silver crescent. 

The long arms were stretched out in gesture of 
appeal. 

“ Take me away !” he cried. 

The creature’s appearance of terror reassured Rai- 
mond, who said decidedly: 

“First thou must tell me everything.” 

“Come, and I will show thee.” And he led the 
way through a narrow passage to a large stone cham- 


140 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


ber lighted by means of a round hole that overlooked 
the river, and through which the creature had called 
to Eaimond, whom he had seen in the boat.* The 
floor of the apartment was covered with animal 
skins ; in one comer was a bed of straw, also covered 
with skins. On it lay the form of a man already 
stiff in death. 

“ See, he is dead ! ” exclaimed the dwarf ; “ and 
when they come back they will say I have killed 
him by poison, and torture me to make me confess. ” 

If a man or women died in those days from natural 
causes before passing middle age, the suspicion of 
poison was always aroused. The attendants of the 
person, if an individual of any importance, were at 
once apprehended and commanded to tell all they 
knew. In order to escape the horrors of the torture 
chamber they were ready to charge the death on any 
one connected with the dead person, especially any 
one who by any cause whatever incurred the ill-will 
of the neighbors. Eaimond knew the dwarf’s per- 
sonal appearance was against him, and that he would 
in all probability be accused of conniving with the 
Evil One to destroy this man. In his heart he be- 
lieved it very likely that this strange-looking crea- 
ture had been concerned in the man’s death, and he 
hesitated whether to attempt to succor him. The 

* The remains of this ancient fortress are still to be seen. 
It is called La Roque de Tayac, because of the village that now 
faces it from the other side of the river. 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 14:1 

impression was strengthened by the peculiar actions 
of the dwarf, who was capering about the corpse, 
stopping every moment or two to spit upon it. 

“Hoho! No more wilt thou revile me because of 
the misfortune Heaven has cursed me with! No 
more will I have to do thy unholy bidding, else be 
seized by the nape of the neck and shaken till the 
breath has almost left my body. No more wilt thou 
by thy fiendish malignancy cause me to grit my 
teeth lest a cry escape me to make thee gloat over 
suffering thou hast caused ! No more wilt thou rob 
those weaker than thyself ! No more wilt thou op- 
press the poor and abuse the wretched ! What good 
now are the treasures thou hast helped accumulate, 
when not one denier will go to pay masses for thy 
miserable soul?” 

He stopped, not because he had no more to say, 
but because his breath was spent. 

“Who art thou? Wliat art thou? Who is he! ” 
asked Raimond, devoutly crossing himself and mut- 
tering a prayer. 

“ I am a free man who was once the slave of that 
dog ! ” answered the dwarf. “ I am called J oli-coeur, 
because I make others laugh, though my heart be 
heavy with weariness. I was once the jester of a 
knight, whom I offended because I told him the 
truth, and he bade me begone from his sight, and 
gave me to that pig of a man, who was once the 
leader of one of the knight’s bands of freebooters. 


142 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


He brought me here and left me in charge of the 
ladder while he and his men went off on their expe- 
ditions of plundering. The band is now in pursuit 
of a rich caravan that they heard was on its way 
northward from La Provence. He was ill of fever 
and could not go; now he is dead, and with thy 
help I shall be free, and we both shall be rich, for I 
know of chests of gold, and of gems, and of silks, 
and of what not. But we shall fill our pouches with 
gold only and get away before the band returns, 
which may be to-morrow, or next week, or next 
month.” 

“Why hast thou not escaped before during the 
absence of thy masters ? ” asked Eaimond. 

“Could I go unaided down the rope ladder with 
my poor twisted legs? Neither have I seen any one 
pass by whom I felt I could trust.” 

Then Eaimond saw his feet were all awry, and 
that his legs were twisted and crooked. 

“Hast thou any food? ” now asked the half-fam- 
ished boy. 

“ In plenty. If thou wilt promise to do my bid- 
ding, not only shalt thou fill thy stomach with food 
of the best, but thou shalt have enough gold to make 
thee live at ease the rest of thy life.” 

“ Why dost thou think I will aid thee any more 
than another? ” 

“ Because first I took thee to be a friar ; now be- 
cause I see thou art an honest youth, who for some 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 143 

reason of his own is masquerading in what does not 
belong to him.” 

“Bring out thy food, and we will talk later.” 

“Thou must give me thy promise first.” 

“ I will promise to take thee down the ladder on 
my back. More than that I’ll not promise till I 
know what thou wouldst have of me,” replied Rai- 
mond, prudently ; for he still suspected the dwarf, 
fearing he was one of those wicked demons who lure 
men to eternal destruction by fair words and big 
promises. 

“ Swear upon the cross ! ” 

Eaimond took the required oath, and soon after 
was sitting down before a hearty meal of meat, bread, 
and wine. While he was satisfying his hunger, 
Joli-coour told him of the treasure-room where were 
stored all sorts of precious things. Even while he 
was eating, the dwarf, by dint of great striving, 
dragged out several small coffers, opened them, and 
displayed to Eaimond’ s ravished eyes shining gold 
pieces, packed neatly in rows, and jewels of great 
value. 

“ We can let the chests down by means of a rope ; 
then thou shalt take me down on thy back, after we 
have stuffed our pouches with gems. I will get 
four bags which we will fill with gold from one of 
the chests ; then we will let down the other chests 
into the water, to await our return. We will go in 
thy boat till we reach a place where we may buy 


144 : THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 

horses, and the rest of the way we’ll make at our 
ease.” 

“ When dost thou expect the company to return ? ” 

“ Who knows ? To-morrow or next month. Some 
of them are coming and going constantly. The 
sooner we depart the better.” 

“First I must have sleep,” said Eaimond, de- 
cidedly. 

“ Very well. Sleep till daybreak. Then we must 
be off if we would save our lives. For thou art in 
as much danger as I. Should any of the band re- 
turn unexpectedly and find thee here, they’d make 
short work of slitting thy throat and throwing thy 
carcass into the river below.” 

The next morning Eaimond tried to persuade 
Joli-coeur to remain but one more night in the 
rocky fortress, while he procured horses and men 
to carry off more of the treasure. But Joli-coeur 
answered : 

“ I will go with thee this very morning, or not at 
all. If thou goest alone, on thy return thou’ It find 
no ladder ready for thy ascent.” 

“Very well,” sighed Eaimond, “then it shall be 
as thou sayst.” 

“ First will we let down the boxes with this stout 
hempen rope ; then wilt thou take me on thy shoul- 
ders, and once below, we will give the rope ladder a 
twist and a fling, and down it will go into the well, 
where none will ever find it. When the company 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 


145 


return and find the ladder gone and me not above, 
they will be mad with rage and despair.” 

“Scaling ladders could reach the hole,” said Kai- 
mond. 

“Aye; but could any of sufficient length be 
brought through the opening below? ” 

“The materials could be brought within, and the 
ladders then constructed.” 

“Surely,” rejoined Joli-coeur. “But what they 
might do may we not do also? It will depend upon 
who returns first.” 

“ FardiCy thou hast said well. It is we who will 
return with horses and men, and secure the treasure ! ” 
exclaimed Eaimond, joyfully. 

When they came to lower the boxes into the river, 
they found the water so clear that they were in plain 
view ; so they hoisted them up again into the boat, 
rowed down stream to a spot where overhanging 
trees shaded the water and obscured the sandy bot- 
tom of the river. There they again lowered the 
chests, to which were attached strong chains, looped 
in such a manner that they could be easily raised 
by the means of a hooked staff. They marked the 
spot, and then proceeded on their way, each with 
two small bags of gold at his feet in tlie bottom of 
the boat, and with their pouches filled with gems. 

Several days later they heard that a skirmish had 
recently taken place in the vicinity between the 
English and the Gascons, and that the Gascons had 
10 


146 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


proved the better men. The victors had taken the 
road toward Limoges, which had just capitulated to 
Sir Bertrand du Guesclin. They heard at the same 
time of the death of the gallant Sir John Chandos, 
that wise and able general to whom England owed 
her brilliant victories at Poitiers, Auray, and Najarra, 
rather than to the Black Prince, in whom tradition 
has concentrated all the grace, wisdom, valor, and 
virtue of that chivalric age. After the death of this 
knight, nearly all the territory acquired in Prance 
by Edward III. was lost, and the former succession 
of brilliant victories turned to a succession of hu- 
miliating defeats. 

It is to Proissart that we owe the touching ac- 
count of the death of the English knight. Sir John 
Chandos, whose memory will always be hallowed in 
England, not less honored than that of the prince he 
served so loyally. 

“These barons and knights of Poitiers,” writes Froissart, 
“ were struck with grief when they saw their seneschal, Sir 
John Chandos, lying in so doleful a way, and not able to speak. 
They began grievously to lament his loss, saying : ‘Flower of 
knighthood I oh, Sir John Chandos ! cursed be the forging of 
that lance which wounded thee and which has thus ended thy 
life!’ Those who were around the body most tenderly be- 
wailed him ; while he heard and answered with groans, but 
could not articulate a word. They wrung their hands and tore 
their hair, uttering cries and complaints, more especially those 
who belonged to his household. 

“Sir John Chandos was disarmed very gently by his own ser- 
vants, laid upon shields and targets and carried at a foot’s pace 
to Mortemer, the nearest fort to that place where they were.” 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 


14:7 


The death of Sir John was a serious blow to the 
English interests, especially as Charles V. was a man 
to take advantage of every opportunity. Unlike his 
father, King John, Charles V. was a politic states- 
man, and did not depend upon personal prowess, gal- 
lantry, or courage to defeat the English, but had laid 
his plans far in advance. First, he had won all the 
old allies from the English king by patient adroit- 
ness and the judicious bestowal of fiefs. Also, he 
had secured the services of a man in whom he recog- 
nized all the characteristics of a military leader, the 
Breton knight. Sir Bertrand du Guesclin. Edward 
III. had sent two armies into France, which met 
with little success, as the French did not give them 
battle, but contented themselves with holding and 
defending all the fortified places in their possession, 
leaving the open country to the mercy of the English. 
This kind of waiting warfare is always hardest on 
the invader, and Edward’s armies had been unable 
to repeat the victories of Creci and Poitiers, where 
the chivalry of France had twice been laid low. 

At the time of the Gascon uprising. Sir Bertrand 
du Guesclin was in Spain, having been aided by the 
French king in the payment of his ransom to the 
Black Prince, where he had helped Henry of Trans- 
tamare again to defeat his brother, and to re-estab- 
lish himself permanently on the Castilian throne. 
Charles V. had sent for him to return to take an im- 
portant command, and henceforth Sir Bertrand was 


148 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


to Charles V. what Sir John Chandos had been to 
Edward III., leading the warriors of France to vic- 
tory where before they had sustained defeat. 

Eaimond learned that the gallant Breton knight 
was at Limoges, which had been recently surrendered 
to him under most favorable conditions. It was a 
most important conquest, for the Black Prince re- 
garded this city as the gateway to France, consider- 
ing its possession even more desirable than the 
friendship and alliance of Charles le Mauvais. 
When the King of Kavarre had signified that the 
price of his aid was the viscounty of Limoges, the 
Black Prince, though deeming his alliance almost 
necessary to his success, refused thus to break into 
his kingdom of Aquitaine. Now it had been taken 
from him without any return either in service or 
gold, and he swore that he would get the city back 
and make the traitors pay dear for their surrender 
to the Breton knight. 

But at present the inhabitants of Limoges were 
secure, for the Breton knight was still encamped be- 
fore its walls. Therefore, thither Eaimond, attended 
by J oli-coeur, made his way. They were challenged 
every once in a while, but Eaimond evaded deten- 
tion, as he still wore his friar’s frock; while Joli- 
coeur’s motley garb was hidden under the folds of a 
long cloak. 

The army was a large one, but Eaimond had no 
difficulty in entering the camp; the difficulty would 


FROM BOCASSE TO LIMOGES. 


149 


come in getting out safely if he failed in satisfying 
the commander of his loyalty and good intentions. 
He asked to be conducted to the knight’s tent. 
When his business was inquired into, he was mys- 
terious in his replies. 

“My lord commander has weighty matters on 
hand; he cannot see every varlet or begging friar 
who would crave of his bounty,” replied one of the 
guards, testily. 

“’Tis not thy duty to decide whom thy lord will 
see or will not see,” responded Eaimond, coolly. 
“’Tis my business to see him, and see him I will.” 

“’Twere easy enough to see him,” replied the 
guard, mockingly. “ My lord commander makes no 
secrecy of his person. He will walk abroad, no 
doubt, when it suits his convenience.” 

“Then will I wait till he comes forth, when I 
will speak to him.” 

“’Twere easy to see him, aye to speak with him, 
but to get him to see thee or speak to thee were 
another matter.” 

Eaimond, however, was not to be so easily 
daunted. By dint of perseverance, persistence, and 
effrontery, he at length found himself with Joli-coeur 
at his heels in front of the knight’s tent. Farther 
he could not go. He narrowly escaped arrest, for by 
this time his design was suspected to be one against 
the life of the knight; the dwarf also excited dis- 
trust. Two of the guards had already seized Eai- 


150 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


mond, when to his bewilderment and delight whom 
should the latter see emerge from the tent of the 
Breton knight but Sir Gaston d^Ambricicourt, whom 
he had supposed to be dead and buried. 

“ My lord ! My lord ! ” shrieked Kaimond. 


CHAPTER X. 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 

At Raimond’s almost frantic cry, the Gascon 
knight stopped and looked with displeased astonish- 
ment at the individual who was calling upon him so 
lustily for aid, as he supposed, and who presented so 
mean an appearance in his dirty friar’s frock. As 
he caught sight of the face, he recognized his squire, 
and coming quickly forward, demanded of the two 
guards what they were about to do with this young 
gentleman. 

The guards then had their share of astonishment 
at seeing so great a knight as Sir Gaston d’Ambrici- 
court, a friend of Sir Bertrand, espousing the cause 
of these two vagrants, who had shown more daring 
and insolence than prudence and wisdom. They re- 
luctantly released their prisoners, casting contemptu- 
ous glances at the dirty-frocked youth, whose cowl 
was pulled down over one eye in a manner that was 
more rakish than clerical, and at the squat little fig- 
ure covered with a long cloak and whose eyes fairly 
glared at them from under the pointed hood stuck 
sideways upon his head. 


152 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“ Sir Gaston ! ” again shrieked Kaimond ; and with 
a spring and a kick and a toss, he flung himself out 
of his gown, and stood before the Gascon knight in 
his bloodstained doublet and mud-stained hose. 

“ My Eaimond, I thought thou hadst been killed ! ” 
exclaimed Sir Gaston. 

"No more dead than yourself, my lord,” replied 
Eaimond, joyously. “I thought I had left you 
buried beneath a heap of dead men-at-arms. What 
miracle enabled you to escape? ” 

"Come to my tent; thy companion may follow,” 
said Sir Gaston. 

When they reached the tent, the knight motioned 
to Joli-cceur to remain outside, much to the dwarf’s 
dismay, and who seized Eaimond’s arm, crying: 

" No, no, my lord, you must not part us ! He has 
bound himself to me ! ” 

" Parhleu, and who mayst thou be ? ” asked Sir 
Gaston, angrily. 

"Who knows, my lord, what he is, or may be- 
come, or whither he may go? ” replied Joli-coeur, 
coolly. 

Sir Gaston looked significantly at Eaimond. 

"He is a simple one,” said the knight. 

"No, my lord; truly he is a wise one. If my 
lord will permit, he will tell you many things worth 
hearing,” replied the youth. 

"Come hither, then.” 

They entered the tent. Sir Gaston seated himself 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 


153 


in a large chair, pointing toward some wild animal 
skins whereon for Eaimond and Joli-coeur to seat 
themselves. 

“Now relate how it was thou wert not killed at 
St. Arnaud.” 

“Pardon, my lord, ’tis a long tale. Will not you 
inform us how you escaped first ; after will I relate 
my experience from beginning to end.” 

“Soil. I fell, as thou knowest, in the market- 
place, and was no doubt left for dead. How long I 
lay there I have no means of telling, but my first 
sensation was that of cold. When I opened my eyes 
it was dark, the rain was falling briskly, and the air 
was heavy with the smell of damp, charred wood. 
At first, I could move neither hand nor foot, for 
many bodies lay above me, and my head alone was 
free. By slow degrees and much painful effort, I 
managed first to free an arm and then a leg, and 
finally both arms and both legs. I was badly cut, 
but the blood had ceased flowing, though my efforts 
to move started one of my wounds to bleed anew. 
I succeeded after many hours, it seemed to me, in 
dragging myself under the shelter of a projecting 
window, where I lay till daylight. At dawn there 
came a flock of human carrion to prey upon the 
dead. They soon discovered me, and would have 
stripped me also, living as I was, had I not promised 
them a large reward if they would remove me to a 
place where I could receive care and nursing till my 


154 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


wounds were healed. They took me to the house of 
one of the chief magistrates, which had been sacked 
but not burned. Some of the servants still remained, 
and these did for me until their master returned. 
My wounds were some time in healing. I have but 
just arrived at Sir Bertrand’s camp to offer him my 
services, for he is high in the king’s favor. Now 
for thy tale.” 

Eaimond then told Sir Gaston how he had 
hidden himself in the abbey, how he had dis- 
guised himself in the garb of a mendicant friar, 
and journeyed on foot to Bocasse. How he had 
found the castle invested by an English company, 
and fearing for his lady’s safety, had started to 
procure reinforcements. He was interrupted by 
Sir Gaston, who springing from his chair, ex- 
claimed vehemently: 

“ Sangdieu ! We will go to her aid at once !” 
Then he sank back dejectedly in his chair and leaned 
his head upon his hand. “ Helas / ” he muttered, 
“ it is I who have no money to pay a company, and 
whom could I expect to accompany me without 
promise of payment, and something down as a war- 
ranty that more will be forthcoming ! I must appeal 
to Sir Bertrand.” 

Eaimond was already on his feet and detaching 
one of the bags from his belt, poured its contents on 
the table in front of the astonished knight. Then 
Joli-coeur also arose and emptied one of his bags of 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 


155 


gold on the table, so that two heaps of shining gold 
pieces lay before Sir Gaston. 

“ Nom du diahle ! ” he exclaimed. “ Where have 
you found so much gold? ” 

“Where there yet remains many times as much,” 
replied Joli-coeur, sententiously. 

Sir Gaston eyed the dwarf with increasing favor. 
The sight of the gold had impressed him, and his 
respect for Joli-coeur had grown accordingly, for he 
knew Eaimond could not have acquired so much 
gold unaided. Then he hastily crossed himself and 
shivered. Could it be possible the misshapen crea- 
ture was indeed the Evil One, who was seeking his 
soul as well as Eaimond’s? 

The boy was putting the gold back into the bags. 
When he had finished, he handed them to Sir Gas- 
ton, saying: 

“ If my lord will but listen to the end of my tale 
he will see that there is no need to appeal to any one 
for aid so long as men-at-arms may be had for hire.” 

Then he told how he was obliged to take a cir- 
cuitous route back in order to avoid capture by the 
English, who might have taken him for a spy, and 
how he had heard the cries of Joli-coeur, and had 
responded to them without thinking of the conse- 
quences, which had turned out to be so lucky for them 
all, as the treasure that remained behind was great, 
and which he believed they would be able to secure. 

At first Sir Gaston was for journeying at once to 


156 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


the rocky fortress to secure the treasure before the 
others had time to return; but Eaimond protested, 
saying that by this time the inhabitants of Bocasse 
might be reduced to dire extremity. 

“We will succor the lady first,” declared Sir Gas- 
ton, “and secure the treasure after.” 

He told Eaimond and Joli-coeur to remain in the 
tent while he again sought Sir Bertrand, this time 
to ask for a large company of men-at-arms to go to 
the aid of Chateau de Bocasse. 

With money to pay for their services. Sir Gaston 
had no difficulty in hiring a band of mercenaries to 
take to the relief of the Maid of Bocasse. He lost 
no time ; the men were told to be ready to depart 
the following morning. Horses were procured, as 
Sir Gaston offered a good price, and many a knight 
made a fair penny by selling dear to the Gascon 
knight and buying cheap of the peasants, scouring 
the neighborhood for a fresh supply. By mounting 
his men, Sir Gaston calculated upon reaching Bocasse 
on the evening of the fourth day. Ho accidents in- 
terfering, his expectations were realized ; and just as 
the sun was sinking below the hills on the fourth 
day they came in sight of the town and castle of 
Bocasse. 

What was the consternation of Sir Gaston and 
Eaimond to see the banner of Bocasse no longer 
floating to the breeze ; neither was there any army 
investing its walls; instead, an ugly breach yawned 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 


157 


to the north of the gate, a breach which some at- 
tempt had been made to patch up. He camped his 
men in the woods on the brow of the hill overlook- 
ing the town, wishing to keep his arrival concealed 
for the present. Eaimond volunteered to seek infor- 
mation in the town. Sir Gaston gladly gave his 
consent. The boy made his way through the fire- 
blackened streets to the house of the chief magis- 
trate, which, being built of stone, had survived the 
torch; and there he learned the manner in which 
the chateau had been taken, of the departure of the 
Lady of Bocasse and her women, accompanied by 
Messire de Bonciel and a small remnant of the gar- 
rison, and how the captain of the guard had returned 
some days later, saying that they had been pursued, 
overtaken, and the Lady Yvette carried off. Messire 
de Bonciel had' then departed northward to seek re- 
dress for his lady from her liege, the King of Na- 
varre. 

As Eaimond was slowly and sorrowfully making 
his way back to camp, whom should he meet but 
Martin. 

“Ah, damoiseau, where have you come from? 
And why did you wait until the town was burned, 
the chateau taken, and its lady captured, before 
coming back ? ” 

“ We had expected to succor her,” replied Eaimond, 
sadly. “ But come with me ; Sir Gaston, no doubt, 
would have speech with thee.” 


158 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“ With me ? And why ? ” 

“ Yes, with thee ; for thou canst tell him all that 
has happened since we left.” 

“In truth, yes. Who could dp it better? ” 

When Sir Gaston learned that the castle had been 
taken by means of a mine, he quickly decided that 
what had been done once could be done again. He 
questioned Martin closely regarding the number of 
the garrison, and learned that it was comparatively 
small, as Sir Hugh had departed after the capture 
with a large number of men and with a long train of 
Sumpter horses heavily laden with the wealth of 
Bocasse. The knight quickly formulated his plan 
of attack. 

“Canst thou tell me the location of the beginning 
of the mine,” asked Sir Gaston of Martin. 

“That I can readily,” replied the peasant. “If 
messire wills, I can take him hither this very night. 
The moon is full, and the way not to be mistaken.” 

“ It is well. We will reconnoitre as soon as day- 
light disappears.” 

Some hours later a small party of men made their 
way cautiously to the castle walls, keeping as much 
as possible under the shade of the trees to avoid de- 
tection by the sentries that, no doubt, were posted in 
the turrets. The entrance to the mine was easily 
foimd. They entered it; and once inside, lighted, 
by means of a flint, their pine torches soaked in 
pitch, and traversed the underground passage. It 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 159 

stopped at the place where the walls had been thrown 
down. 

“We will carry the mine farther,” said Sir Gaston, 
“until it shall enter the inner court; then will one 
division under Raimond enter by these means, while 
I, with the other, will storm the breach.” 

They began the work of continuing the mine the 
following evening, and labored all that night and 
most of the next day, as Martin privately secured 
the services of all the peasants in the vicinity, hav- 
ing them assemble after dark near the entrance of 
the mine, which the garrison put in charge of the 
chateau had not thought it necessary to guard, on ac- 
count of the breach in the walls where watch was 
maintained day and night. 

About four o’clock in the afternoon Martin re- 
ported to Sir Gaston that he thought they had un- 
dermined the inner wall, and asked for further 
instructions. 

“Thou hast done thy part,” replied the knight. 
“Do not let thy men depart imtil we are there, so 
that we may be able to enter directly, before the gar- 
rison have time to expect us.” 

In the course of an hour the sentries in the tur- 
rets of the chateau were surprised and alarmed at 
seeing a large company of mounted men-at-arms 
ride up before the walls. 

Approaching the gate, the Gascon knight blew his 
bom. 


160 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


Straightway the head of the warder appeared in 
the little tower above the gateway, and demanded 
whom he sought. “The Lady of Bocasse,” replied 
the knight, haughtily. 

“There is none as yet,” said the warder. “The 
castle belongs to my lord of Beverly, who has not 
yet given it a lady.” 

“iVbm du diaUe ! ” shouted Sir Gaston. “ Neither 
thou nor thy lord shall remain therein long enough 
for that! Surrender at once, else will I take the 
castle and hang every one of you from its walls.” 

“ To hang us, you must first get us 1 ” retorted the 
warder. “The garrison is strong, the walls thick, 
and the food plenty; therefore will we wait.” 

“ Storm the breach ! ” shouted Sir Gaston, leading 
the assault across the still encumbered moat. 

The besieged made a gallant defence. They de- 
pended upon the second wall, should the enemy prove 
too strong for them. A small company was put in 
charge of the inner gate ; their arrangements for re- 
treat would have been successful had it not been for 
the second attacking party, that made an entrance 
into the inner court by means of the mine while the 
garrison were defending the outer walls. The fight 
was a short one, for the garrison yielded as soon as 
they saw their cause was hopeless, being attacked as 
they were front and rear. 

Sir Gaston made short shrift of Sir Hugh’s men, 
turning them out to find their master as best they 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 


161 


could without a denier in their pouch or a weapon 
to their hand, and no other habiliments than the 
clothes they stood in. Men were not squeamish in 
those days of chivalry except in that which they 
thought affected their honor. 

It was not with unalloyed satisfaction that Sir 
Gaston contemplated the possession of Chtoau de 
Bocasse. He could not leave the castle in charge of 
but a portion of his company while the breach re- 
mained open, and to repair it effectually would take 
some time. 

Both he and Eaimond were eager to proceed in 
quest of the rest of the treasure in the rocky fortress 
in Guienne, so one day Eaimond proposed to go in 
search of his uncle. No doubt he would be wher- 
ever the King of Navarre was, and that would be 
no great difficulty to discover. On finding him, he 
would bring him back to Bocasse, the garrison could 
be reinforced, and Sir Gaston could take his own 
company, or a part of it, to La Eoque de Tayac and 
secure the treasure. 

This plan commended itself to Sir Gaston. After 
the treasure was theirs they would ransom Lady 
Yvette, who would then be restored to her own. 

Eaimond departed the next day with an escort of 
mounted men-at-arms, accompanied also by Joli- 
coeur, who absolutely refused to be separated from 
him. Once on the journey, the dwarf told Eaimond 
that he had accompanied him with the object of find- 
11 


162 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


ing the Lady of Bocasse. Sir Hugh had formerly 
been his lord ; it was he who had consigned him to 
the late leader of the band of freebooters who had 
their headquarters at La Eoque. He knew all the 
principal castles owned by Sir Hugh in France; he 
would travel from one to another until he succeeded 
in finding the imprisoned lady. As a jester he would 
have greater freedom of action than would another 
man, and many of his actions would pass unnoticed, 
or at least unchallenged. 

“But Sir Hugh will recognize thee; then thy life 
will not be worth a denier” said Eaimond. 

“He will not recognize me unless I so will it, nor 
any of his household,” returned Joli-coeur, confi- 
dently. 

Eaimond was too anxious to have him begin his 
search for the Lady Yvette to make further objec- 
tion. With Joli-coeur in quest of his lady, his 
uncle in charge of Bocasse, and he and Sir Gaston 
after the treasure, the youth felt that things could 
not be better arranged. 

Joli-coeur parted company with Eaimond and his 
escort at the first large town at which they arrived, 
remaining there while the others pursued their jour- 
ney. 

Eaimond was anxious to get northward as quickly 
as possible, but what was his surprise and delight to 
encounter his uncle at one of the inns where they 
stopped for the night. Messire de Bonciel, who had 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 


163 


not recovered from his wounds when he started on 
his journey, had taken cold and had been seized with 
a fever, greatly to the distress of his mind, for all 
the while he did not know what was happening to 
his lady. He was overjoyed at the news of the re- 
capture of Bocasse, but Eaimond had some difficulty 
in persuading him to return to the castle without 
finding Lady Yvette, for he had no faith in the ser- 
vices of the dwarf, whom he had never seen and in 
whom he placed no confidence. 

Eaimond supplied his uncle with gold enough for 
his needs till he reached Bocasse, as well as to buy 
a horse and to engage several men-at-arms to take 
with him to reinforce the garrison. Then he begged 
his uncle to request Sir Gaston to depart at once and 
to meet him at N4rac, whence they could travel in 
company to Guienne. His great anxiety was to se- 
cure the treasure. That secured, the rescue of Lady 
Yvette would soon follow ; for gold unlocked prison 
doors and made hard roads easy to travel. Should 
the Lady Yvette be held for ransom, they would 
have the gold wherewith to pay it at once ; should 
her freedom be refused, they would have enough to 
engage a whole army to effect her rescue. 

The time spent in Bocasse dragged heavily to Sir 
Gaston. In the strife of battle, in the excitement 
of conflict, the bewitching face of Lady Yvette, with 
its sweet lips and mocking eyes, sometimes ceased 
to haunt him. But at Bocasse that lovely face peered 


164 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


at him from every side ; sometimes it was enchant- 
ing in its sweetness and softness, sometimes it mocked 
him with its laughing scorn ; but always lovely, be- 
witching, and altogether desirable. 

“ But where is she now ? ” Then he clinched his 
fists, and looked about him for something to try 
their hardness on. “ Suppose Sir Hugh should de- 
sire to possess her also? She would not believe him 
to be seeking her domain rather than her peerless 
self. Him will I hunt the world over and lay his 
head low in the dust, and thus prove myself the bet- 
ter knight! I’ 11 tilt with him before her very eyes, 
and show proud madame that there are other things 
than a lady’s favor! ” 

But his anger soon died out, to leave the longing 
behind all the stronger, and glad enough was he 
when Messire de Bonciel at length arrived at Bo- 
casse and delivered Eaimond’s message. He set out 
immediately for Herac, though now he would have 
preferred to have set out in quest of Sir Hugh. 

In due time he and his goodly company of men- 
at-arms reached N4rac. Acting upon Raimond’s 
advice. Sir Gaston engaged several joiners, who were 
to carry with them material for strong ladders. He 
also purchased a number of sumpter-mules, that 
would serve for the double purpose of conveying the 
material for the ladders to La Roque and bringing 
away the treasure when they had secured it. Then 
he had also to procure a large flat-bottomed boat to 


BACK TO BOCASSE. 


165 


convey the company across the river, which was too 
deep to ford, particularly for the heavily laden mules. 

They travelled principally at night, as Sir Gaston 
did not care to excite curiosity or conjecture as to 
his destination. When they arrived at the river 
bank, on the opposite side to the fortress, not a sign 
of human life was visible. The face of the high 
cliffs looked as inscrutable as that of a sphinx. They 
made their preparation to cross by daybreak. As 
soon as dawn began to appear. Sir Gaston and Eai- 
mond, with half a dozen men-at-arms, were ferried 
across the river. They entered the lower chamber 
of the rocky fortress, which seemed to Eaimond ex- 
actly as he and Joli-coeur had left it a fortnight or 
so before. 

" They have not yet returned ! ” exclaimed the 
youth, joyfully. “Come, let us see if our chests of 
gold remain where we put them.” On repairing to 
the spot, Eaimond lowered his lance; it struck 
against something that gave back a metallic sound. 
“They’re all safe, at least. No, they have not re- 
turned. We have arrived in time.” 

Going back into the rock-hewn chamber. Sir Gas- 
ton hallooed, and challenged any who might be in 
hiding to appear. But no sound came in answer to 
his shouts save the hollow reverberations of the 
cavernous chamber. Then he bade his ferrymen re- 
turn after the joiners and their partially constructed 
ladder, and tell the remaining men-at-arms to hold 


166 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


themselves in readiness to cross when he should 
give the signal. 

It took some hours to fasten the sections of the 
ladder securely together, so that they might mount 
to the upper chambers. Then the joiners erected a 
kind of derrick with which to lower the treasure 
from above. When everything was ready, Sir Gas- 
ton signalled for half of his men to come over to liim, 
and then would have led the way himself. But 
Eaimond claimed this privilege. Had he not discov- 
ered the place ? Sir Gaston yielded good-humoredly, 
and the agile boy quickly scampered up the ladder. 
The men-at-arms stood grouped around it, ready to 
ascend. Sir Gaston was already half-way up, all with 
faces turned upward, when Eaimond came tumbling 
down upon them much faster than he went up ; for 
no sooner had he put his head above the floor of the 
upper chamber than he was hurled violently down. 
Had not his comrades caught him, he must have 
been badly injured by falling heavily on the stone 
floor in his coat of mail. 


CHAPTEE XI. 


AT SAINT BRICE. 

The soldiers* quarters at St. Brice were all stir, 
bustle, and excitement, for Sir Hugh de Beverly had 
just returned with a part of his company from a 
very successful predatory expedition, and was there- 
fore in a very amiable humor, which meant good 
rations and plenty of them, money to gamble with, 
and mummer and juggler shows for entertainment. 

It was the supper hour, and the soldiers were as- 
sembled in the long dreary apartment where they 
took their meals. It being the season of the year 
when darkness comes early and stays long, the 
chamber was lighted by torches made of sheaves of 
straw soaked in pitch, that threw fitful, garish gleams 
over the men seated about the big board, whose faces 
proclaimed them to be of various nationalities, and 
whose features bore evidence of rough living, hard 
fighting, and low thinking. While there remained 
food and drink before them on the table, there was 
little heard save such sounds as beasts make when 
feeding, the thump of pewter tankards on the bare 
boards, the scraping of platters, and the calls for 


168 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


more food and drink. Belts were loosened, and men 
were sighing because they could not eat more, when 
a gruff, heavy voice called out from one end of the 
table : 

“This last enterprise has been a lucky one.” 

“Tell us of it,” said one of the garrison. 

“Well, we descended upon the town at dawn, its 
fortifications were mere shells, which we already 
knew, for Sir Hugh’s gold had been at work inside 
the town. Our company was a big one, and when 
we appeared before the walls there was great con- 
sternation inside, the inhabitants flocked to the 
highest parts of the town and looked down upon us 
in fear. Sir Hugh caused a herald to be sent to the 
gates to say that Sir Hugh would speak with the 
magistrate. A few minutes later he appeared on 
the wall near the principal gate. Then Sir Hugh 
spake out big and bold: 'Give me fifty thousand 
francs,’ said he, 'or the town shall be delivered to the 
sack ! ’ ” 

The men nodded their heads in approval of Sir 
Hugh’s methods. 

“'You shall have our reply at sunset,’ replied the 
chief magistrate. ' 

'"Every hour you delay shall cost you ten thou- 
sand francs more,’ quoth Sir Hugh. 

“ ‘ It will take much time to collect so great a 
sum,’ said the chief magistrate. 

‘"If it be not in my hand at midday, by nightfall 


AT SAINT BRICE. 


169 


there shall not be left one stone upon another in all 
the town,’ quoth Sir Hugh.” 

“And did he get the money? ” asked one of the 
younger men, eagerly. 

“That was a question of a fool,” grunted the first 
speaker. “Gold would melt in purgatory, even if 
we men might take it with us.” 

“ Sangdieu! but it was a bigger haul we got from 
the caravan, I’m thinking,” said another. “I caught 
sight of some of the gold and jewels and plate and 
trinkets. No doubt the table of Sir Hugh is even 
now spread with gold and silver drinking- cups and 
platters and bowls ; while pewter is good enough for 
us ! ” he growled. 

“Aye, or iron, or wood, or anything else, ’tis all 
the same to me so long as there’s plenty to fill them. 
’Tis drink and victuals that is the main thing, not 
what holds them,” replied another, philosophically. 

Mordieu, anything’s good enough for a foreigner ! ” 
muttered the complainer. 

There was a threatening demonstration among the 
foreigners at these words that boded violence. But 
one of the older men interposed, saying diplomati- 
cally : 

“Have you heard? There is to be a great banquet 
to-morrow in honor of Sir Hugh’s return, and after 
the banquet a juggler is going to do some wonderful 
things, and we are to have him perform for us also. ” 

“That’s so,” chimed in another; “and there’s also 


170 


THE MAH) OF BOCASSE. 


a Moor, whatever that may be, but he’s black, and 
they say he is a great magician and has travelled all 
over the earth, and has been in far coimtries where 
horrible monsters dwell, that he has seen men with 
heads like dogs, and others whose faces are in their 
breasts beneath their shoulders, and horses that 
speak, and animals so big that they could swallow a 
man in one gulp.” 

The men crossed themselves. Such accomplish- 
ments could not be Christian. 

In one of the apartments of St. Brice overlooking 
the inner court, sat Lady Yvette, a prisoner, though 
well attended and her material wants well provided 
for. It was nearly a month since Sir Hugh had 
brought her to this place, telling her she should re- 
main there either as his prisoner or his bride. She 
had elected to remain as his prisoner, taking no 
pains to conceal her aversion toward her abductor 
and suitor. , 

To resist, even to fight, suited very well the tem- 
per of the Maid of Bocasse, but not to endure. She 
rose, she ate, she slept. Waking, eating, sleeping, 
were all she did ; no, not all — she thought — thought 
of her dead parents, thought of her home, thought 
of her people, thought of her discarded lover. She 
wondered how Nurse Alinore fared ; perhaps she had 
died of fright and grief. She wondered if Messire 
de Bonciel had been killed by his fall, or if he also 
were a prisoner — perhaps he was a prisoner in this 


AT SAINT BRICE. 


m 


very castle ! She wondered if Eaimond would re- 
turn to Bocasse, and if Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt 
would ever learn of her ill fortune. She wondered 
if she were doomed to end her days in the fortress 
of St. Brice. She wondered if the dungeon was to 
be her fate if she persisted in her refusal to marry 
the Lord of St. Brice, or perhaps the torture cham- 
ber, horrible thought! 

She knew of nothing that transpired without the 
four walls of her chamber. Sir Hugh she had not 
seen since the second day of her imprisonment, when 
he had told her as soon as she was ready to marry 
him to send him some token, a ribbon, a jewel, a 
trifle of any sort. In vain she addressed questions 
to the waiting- woman appointed to attend her; the 
only answers she received were nods and shakes of 
the head. 

About a month after her capture, the waiting- 
woman brought in a chest, which she placed before 
Lady Yvette. Opening it, she took therefrom vari- 
ous articles of elegant wearing apparel, indicating by 
signs that the lady was to attire herself therein. 

“ Why should I take that trouble ? ” inquired Lady 
Yvette. “Who sees me here? ” 

The girl made no reply. 

“Speak!” demanded Lady Yvette. “I shall do 
nothing unless I know the reason therefor.” 

The girl regarded her with a look of mute protest, 
such a look as one receives from a pet animal when 


172 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


it feels itself misunderstood. Then she turned away 
without a word, though Lady Yvette thought she 
saw tears in her eyes. 

She sprang toward the girl, and seizing her by the 
shoulders, cried: 

“Speak, I command you! I am weary of your 
contumacy.” 

Again the girl gave her that mute, protesting 
look; then after an instant’s pause, while Lady 
Yvette’s eyes, flashing with anger, were fixed upon 
her, she opened her mouth and pointed within. 
Then Lady Yvette understood the reason for her 
silence. Her tongue had been cut out I 

“ My poor, poor child I ” cried the lady. And she 
took her in her strong young arms, and held her 
close to her, pressing her cheek against hers, and 
caressing her as she would have caressed her favorite 
dog Niniche. 

Later on, she was told that Sir Hugh had taken a 
fancy to Jeanne-Marie, who had been a pretty, light- 
hearted, and vivacious girl. He had singled her out 
from the rest of the women of the household, and 
had shown her great favor. He had associated her 
with himself, given her apartments near his own ; at 
meals her chair was placed near his. He had given 
her rich raiment, jewels, and attendants. Then 
either he had wearied of her, or grown suspicious of 
her, for he discarded her for no apparent cause, put- 
ting her back among the domestics. But this hu- 


AT SAINT BRICE. 


173 


miliation was not all. One day a projected scheme 
of his was talked about in the castle. It came to 
Sir Hugh’s ears. He accused Jeanne-Marie of hav- 
ing betrayed his former confidences. She denied it, 
but her denial and reproaches seemed only to inflame 
his anger the more. He swore that she would never 
betray another secret, and calling two attendants to 
hold her, he with his dagger cut out the poor girl’s 
tongue. 

Whether he had selected Jeanne-Marie to wait 
upon her because he considered she would present a 
salutary example to his prisoner, or whether because 
she could not answer questions. Lady Yvette could 
not conjecture. 

However, the Maid of Bocasse was not to be in- 
timidated, coaxed, or cajoled. She took counsel 
with herself. To wear away her life in solitary con- 
finement was not an agreeable prospect, even if Sir 
Hugh’s vengeance did not take a severer form. 
Why not temporize? A woman’s wit ought to be a 
match for a man’s will. Were she allowed the range 
of the castle, she might effect her escape. Evidently 
the advent of this handsome apparel was the pre- 
cursor of a visit from the lord of the castle. 

The result of these reflections was that she con- 
cluded to conform to the wishes of Sir Hugh up to 
a certain point. Therefore, she examined the con- 
tents of the chest, and found them to be all that was 
necessary to clothe herself anew and sumptuously. 


m 


THE MAID OF BOCASSB. 


The long flowing robe was of dark-blue silk, cut 
square in the neck, and embroidered with gold 
thread, and was confined about the waist with the 
golden girdle she wore at the time of her abduction, 
and from which was suspended her embroidered 
pouch and golden-hilted dagger. 

Sir Hugh was very agreeably disappointed at his 
gracious reception when he presented liimself an 
hour or so later. He had expected to prosper his 
wooing by threats ; by force, if needs be, just as he 
would take a castle or town. 

At his very best. Sir Hugh was not a pleasant 
person to look upon, and to-day he impressed Lady 
Yvette as even more repulsive in appearance than 
before. As usual, he was dressed in bright crimson, 
that deepened the red of his hair and the flush of 
his face. Involuntarily did she compare him with 
Sir Gaston as first she beheld him in his suit of 
crimson and gold, how like some noble prince he 
appeared ; while this creature who stood before her 
seemed like some churl masquerading in a knight’s 
apparel. 

He advanced toward her with the ungraceful gait 
of one who spends much of his life in the saddle, 
saying in his big gruff voice : 

“ Ha ! ha ! Dear my lady, has solitude made thee 
more amiable ? ” 

“Dear my lord,” replied she, recoiling a little in 
spite of herself before his advance, “’tis not my 


AT SAINT BRICE. 175 

amiability that is at fault,” with a little emphasis 
on the last "my.” 

"Still untamed! Will it require the dungeon to 
tame thy proud spirit? ” 

"A woman without spirit, my lord, is like wine 
without sparkle.” 

“ MordieUy that was well said! ” responded the red 
knight, slapping his broad thigh in appreciation. 
"A woman, like a horse, is all the better for spirit; 
but both must yield before a master.” 

" But every horse and every woman may not find 
the master.” 

" I have yet to stride the horse I cannot subdue, 
and to see the woman I may not conquer.” 

"My lord thinks well of his powers,” she answered 
a little mockingly. 

"And with reason,” he replied with decision. 
Then he continued : " Come now, sweet lady, we’ll 

be a well-mated pair. Thou’lt yield only to me; 
every one else shall do thy bidding. After mine, 
thy word shall be law, thy will be accomplished ; 
no lady shall be more quickly obeyed ; no lady shall 
have more splendid raiment and jewels. Sangdieity 
but I am accommodating! ’Tis thyself who shall 
set the day and hour for us to kneel together before 
the altar.” 

"But my lord’s wooing has been unmannerly. 
’Tis not the way to win a woman’s love to force her 
will.” 


1Y6 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“ Nom du diaUe! A woman’s love is to be had for 
the asking, often without it. ’Tis a quarry that flies 
to the falcon, rather than from it,” he answered in- 
differently. 

"Then why. Sir Knight, do you seek mine, if a 
woman’s love be of so light import and so easily 
won? ” 

" Have I asked thee for thy love ? ’Tis thyself I 
would have. Thy love — oh, that will come ! ” 

"A thing worth the having is worth the getting. 
If my lord would have me, let him first win my 
favor.” 

She looked so desirable with that saucy, mocking 
smile curving her lips, the flush of excitement tinge- 
ing her cheeks, the light of combat flashing from 
her eyes, that something stirred the knight’s bosom 
that was other than a mere sense of attraction. 

" And why should I not please thee ? ” he asked 
bluntly. "Am I not a knight of renown, known for 
deeds of prowess ? Am I not possessed of fiefs and 
wealth of all kinds? What is there lacking in 
me? Wliy should not I win a lady’s favor as well 
as another? Have I not done so already many 
times? ” 

"I know not, my lord, what is lacking in you, 
save that you do not please me,” answered Lady 
Yvette, coolly. She had measured her antagonist, 
and had discovered his weakness. He admired her, 
her very independence having attracted him. He 


AT SAINT BRICE. 177 

had ceased wishing merely to dominate her; he 
wished now to impress her. 

“ MordieUy but thou art bold ! ” he exclaimed ad- 
miringly. It was an entirely new experience ; the 
opposition he met acted as a stimulus to his fancy. 
It was like subduing a mettlesome steed or the ex- 
citement of the chase. "And will good my lady 
deign to say wherein I fail to please her? ” he asked. 

She regarded him critically for a few seconds in 
silence, her head turned a little to one side and 
tilted slightly back, her lids lowered as if to narrow 
her visual range and thus concentrate it. 

“My lord has red hair,” she began categorically. 

“ North du diabU \ May a man choose the color 
of his hair ? ” roared the knight, angrily. 

“There are compensations for red hair,” slowly 
mused aloud the daring girl, without removing her 
gaze from his face. 

“ Far les comes du diable ! And what might they 
be? ” he asked in tones that were but slightly mod- 
erated in loudness and lessened in volume. 

“A gentle temper, my lord,” she responded dispas- 
sionately. 

“Thou thyself hast not the temper of a saint,” he 
retorted, wratlifully. 

“My lord’s tones are often too loud to be pleasant 
to the ear,” she continued, critically. 

“ I will modulate them soft as a cooing dove to 
suit my lady’s fancy,” he said, ironically. 

12 


178 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“Fair words might soften them. My lord might 
try and see,” she suggested. 

“Am I a jongleur to pick my words?” he asked 
contemptuously. 

“ To be a jongleur, my lord must not only pick his 
words but be of quick wit and good heart.” 

“ You compare me, me, madame, the famous Eed 
Knight, lord of many fiefs, to a jongleur ! ” he burst 
forth, springing toward her as if he would crush her 
in his brawny powerful red hands. 

She did not flinch or withdraw her gaze. “ My 
lord is choleric. Has the barber ever tried blood- 
letting, or recommended fasting ? ” she asked, solici- 
tously. 

Sir Hugh swore a mighty oath. Though almost 
beside himself with mortified rage, the coolness of 
the daring girl fascinated him, and he did something 
he was never known to do before — he controlled his 
temper. He wrathfully strode up and down the 
apartment with long steps, then approached Lady 
Yvette, and asked in as gentle tones as his gruff 
voice could assume: 

“ Tell me how I may please thee ? ” 

Then did the girl tremble. To awaken his love 
would be worse than to arouse his hate. She turned 
white, and her eyes fell before his gaze. Her con- 
fusion rehabilitated him in his own good opinion, 
and in an instant he had assumed his usual domi- 
nant manner. 


AT SAINT BRICE. 179 

“I have come to conduct thee below,” he said. 
“Art ready?” 

“Yes, my lord; to see something more than these 
four walls will be a welcome change.” 

Taking her by the hand, he led her through the 
corridor down the great stairway to the banqueting 
hall. 

Sir Hugh conducted his fair guest to the head of 
the table, and placed her in a chair next his own. 
The various members of the numerous household 
then ranged themselves according to their rank, 
the lowest in order sitting farthest from the head 
of the table; there were present the chief officers 
of the household, their wives and daughters, and 
the knights, squires, and pages of Sir Hugh’s 
retinue. 

It was observed by those nearest their lord that 
he did not eat and drink by half as much as usual. 
Much to their consternation he ordered the table 
cleared before many had satisfied their hunger. 
When Lady Yvette had ceased to eat, he motioned 
for the serviteurs to take away the food, and bade 
them summon the mummers. At first came a com- 
pany of travelling players, or mummers, who enacted 
a mystery play, performed juggler tricks, acrobatic 
feats, and all kinds of buffoonries, to the satisfac- 
tion, wonderment, admiration, and amusement of 
the spectators. At length, when the Eed Knight 
had had enough of their antics, they were sent off 


180 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


to the court3^ard to entertain the men-at-arms and 
the domestics. Then were brought more wine and 
cakes and sweets, and the knights and ladies drank 
and ate again. So often was Sir Hugh’s tankard 
emptied that at length he became merry, and made 
jests at which his retainers laughed loudly ; and the 
wine cups were emptied and filled, and again emptied 
and filled, and the hilarity of the company waxed 
greater and few were responsible for their actions. 
Some one called for the fiddlers, and when they 
came in, men seized the women and danced wildly 
about the hall. Chairs were overturned, raiment 
was tom, tempers grew uncertain, and a regular 
saturnalia was in progress. Farther and farther back 
in her chair shrank the Lady Yvette, her eyes dis- 
tended in fright and her heart palpitating with ap- 
prehension. Sir Hugh applauded the performance 
vociferously. 

“We also will dance,” he exclaimed, seizing her 
by the hand. 

She shrank from his touch. 

Then he rudely jerked her up from her chair and 
putting his red face close to hers, hissed : 

“ I’ve had enough of thy coyness ! Come, or ” 

He did not finish his sentence, for Lady Yvette, 
thoroughly frightened, arose. Wliy had she ever 
consented to leave her room ? She ought to have 
known that to play with edged tools is almost a sure 
way to cut oneself. As she rose, she cast a helpless. 


AT SAINT BRICE. 


181 


hopeless glance about her. But the sight that met 
her eyes made her shudder. Suddenly she felt her 
dress pulled. Looking down, she found at her side 
a little squat figure all in black ; even the fat round 
face that was turned upward to hers was black. 


CHAPTEE XII. 


THE FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE. 

It was a group of astonished men that stood gaz- 
ing upward with staring eyes and gaping mouths 
when Eaimond, hurled by some unseen force, came 
down headlong into their midst. Not a sound was 
to be heard save that of their own breathing; not a 
sign of any living thing save themselves was visible. 
They held coimsel together. Some one proposed 
putting planks over the circular opening in the lower 
floor and to heap earth upon them, so that in case 
when they attempted another ascent others were 
thrown backward and downward, the force of the 
fall would be broken by the earth. 

“There may be but one left in charge, as was Joli- 
coeur,” suggested Eaimond. “If we follow one an- 
other quickly up the ladder, he will have no chance 
to throw us all; some will gain a foothold and be 
able to overpower him.” 

Again and again they mounted the ladder, every 
man among them taking his turn to mount first. 
But the result was always the same, and the most 
provoking part of it was that none could see the 
assailants. 


THE FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE. 


183 


They decided to rest as darkness approached, and 
made a pretence of departing, Sir Gaston sending 
away the joiners. Then they stretched themselves 
out on the floor, lying almost motionless, scarcely 
daring to breathe lest those above should discover 
their presence. They hoped to lull them into a sense 
of security so that they would sufficiently relax their 
vigilance to be taken by surprise. At midnight 
another attempt to ascend was cautiously made, and 
so noiselessly that Sir Gaston, who was ahead, already 
had a foot on the floor above, when he received a 
blow on the head that sent him crashing below, car- 
rying down all those beneath him. Then the ladder 
was seized from above ; but it was too long to be 
dragged through the opening, and became wedged; 
the blows of an axe were heard, and later the broken 
parts of the ladder were thrown down, causing a 
scampering below among the men to avoid being 
struck. 

That settled it for the present at least. As soon 
as it was light Sir Gaston and his men withdrew 
across the river to the opposite bank. If they could 
not enter that rocky fortress, no one else should, 
swore Sir Gaston, even if they had to sit down be- 
fore it all winter to guard it. 

This idea, however, did not long commend itself 
to the Gascon knight, for he was neither patient nor 
long-suffering, qualities that were at a discount in 
the fourteenth century among men-at-arms. He 


184 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


questioned Eaimond closely as to the means of ad- 
mitting air and light, and when the youth spoke of 
the round holes cut into the rock way above the 
river, hardly large enough to admit the body of a 
man. Sir Gaston struck his thigh with determination 
and declared: 

“We will enter by means of them! ” 

So three more ladders were made, two of them 
being much longer than the first one, and these were 
put in position against the front of the freebooters’ 
haunt. But the river proved deeper than they had 
provided for, so an extension was necessary, and 
another day was lost. At length, the ladders were 
again raised. This time they were long enough, and 
the preparations for another attack were completed. 
As the moon was bright, and there was danger lest 
a lookout observe the operations, it was decided to 
make a simultaneous attack at every vulnerable 
point — at each of the two circular openings in the 
face of the wall and inside as well. 

Sir Gaston, being the largest man of the company, 
said he would direct the attack from within, taking 
with him the biggest men. Eaimond was to have 
command of one of the scaling parties, and another 
squire of Sir Gaston’s, Ludovic de Ganz by name, 
was to lead the other. As the attack of the differ- 
ent parties was to be made simultaneously, a low 
whistle was agreed upon as the signal. 

Sir Gaston’s being considered the most dangerous 


THE FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE. 185 

point of attack, and as he had the shortest ladder to 
mount, it was decided he should not begin to ascend 
until the outside parties were half way up. The 
plan was followed. Sir Gaston succeeded in getting 
on the floor above, his men crowding after; but in 
an instant the wildest confusion ensued. The Gas- 
con knight managed to push back those who were 
seeking to throw him down the hole, being supported 
in the rear by his followers, who pressed forward, 
carrying all in front of them. At the same time, 
Ludovic and Eaimond and their followers squeezed 
through the openings in the wall unnoticed, for it 
was of pitchy darkness within. Soon the whole 
fortress rang with blows and shouts. None knew 
foe from friend. Once Eaimond found himself 
seized about the body by powerful arms and raised 
high in the air, and was about to be hurled down- 
ward with crushing force, when a light flickered up 
from a torch that had been left below by the last 
man to ascend, and in its glare he distinguished Sir 
Gaston’s face. Just in time was he to save himself 
from certain death by crying : 

“ Sir Gaston, stop ! It is I, Eaimond ! ” 

“ Cease fighting, and do not renew the combat un- 
less attacked, or I give the word ! ” called out Sir 
Gaston in the darkness. Then he listened. 

The attack was not renewed ; and there they re- 
mained in darkness and silence until the first faint 
streaks of dawn stole dimly through the two round 


186 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


openings overlooking the river. As Sir Gaston had 
conjectured, they had been fighting one another, for 
how long none could say. The wounded men were 
all their own. Not a trace of the enemy could be 
discovered. Soon after the beginning of the strug- 
gle the occupants of the chambered rock must have 
withdrawn to some interior apartment. 

When daylight finally appeared they began the 
search for the holders of the fortress, but were con- 
tinually losing themselves in a labyrinth of passages 
that in the end brought them back to the central 
apartment. It was as if they had the whole place 
to themselves. 

They found chests in plenty, but they were empty, 
or else contained articles of small value that would 
not pay for the carrying away. 

Sir Gaston worked himself up into a passion of 
fury; then, to the amazement of all, suddenly broke 
out into a roar of laughter. 

“ That was a lusty fight last night all among our- 
selves,” he said, when he found his voice. “Ludo- 
vic, who gave thee that prick in the arm? Kai- 
mond, I swear! Eaimond, thou wast thinking of 
saying thy last ave when I had thee in my arms,” 
he chuckled. Then his mirth as suddenly changed 
to wrath. “ Nom du diahle ! If I had but those 
rascally English !” 

Meantime Eaimond had been investigating on his 
own account. He tried to retrace step by step the 


THE FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE. IST 


way he had traversed with Joli-coeur. What a fool 
he had been to permit him to go off on that wild- 
goose chase after the Lady of Bocasse ! Why had 
he not insisted that he should remain with him and 
accompany them to this freebooters* haunt? Eai- 
mond was positive that there was yet another cham- 
ber, the storeroom for the gold and jewels, and the 
present hiding-place of the English, who, he felt as- 
sured, had not escaped them through any secret 
passage. He struck his spear against the wall, then 
listened. Again and again he struck the wall, high 
and low, this way and that. Once there was emitted 
a hollow sound. Evidently there was a chamber on 
the other side. Then he tried to find the entrance, 
but the wall was a blank one, without hole, crevice, 
or crack. He told Sir Gaston of his discovery, and 
led him to the place to listen while he struck the 
wall again. After listening. Sir Gaston set every 
unwounded man to work looking for the entrance. 
Once Kaimond thought he heard a suppressed sneeze. 
All this made the knight the more determined to 
enter the hidden chamber. 

By this time, however, they were ravenously hun- 
gry. Eaimond was able, at least, to find the larder, 
so they were soon seated before a bountiful repast. 

“ In faith, one might starve the rascals out ! ” mut- 
tered Sir Gaston, with his mouth full of dried beef. 

“ ’Twould be slow work and make weary waiting,” 
returned Eaimond. 


188 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


“Smoke them out, my lord,” suggested Ludovic. 

“We might make the attempt,” replied Sir Gas- 
ton, slowly ; “ but I doubt if smoke could be made 
to reach them.” 

“We’d lose naught by trying,” said Ludovic, 
cheerfully. 

So after they had satisfied their hunger and 
looked after their wounds (those who had any) 
they all descended the ladder, the wounded men 
being carried or helped down by their uninjured 
companions. 

“We might have saved ourselves all this trouble,” 
grumbled one of the wounded men. 

“We might, but we didn’t,” replied Sir Gaston 
laconically. 

They did not remove the ladders, but Sir Gaston 
stationed several men at the foot of them, also at 
the lower entrance, with orders to take any one who 
might attempt to descend the ladders or to emerge 
from the main entrance of the fortress. A quantity 
of green wood was gathered and carried across the 
river into the lower chamber. Some dried twigs 
were first piled in a heap and set on fire ; as soon as 
they were burning briskly, the green wood was 
spread loosely on top, with draught enough to keep 
the fire going. It was not long before the chamber 
was full of smoke, and every one was obliged to seek 
the outer air on account of choking breath and 
smarting eyeballs. They carefully closed up the 


THE FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE. 189 

opening into the chamber by putting their flat-bot- 
tomed boat over it. 

Meanwhile the smoke poured forth in a thick 
cloud from the portholes above ; but no sign of life 
made itself evident. Darkness came; still no indi- 
cation of surrender. Sir Gaston was more than ever 
convinced that the English had made their escape 
by means of some concealed underground passage. 

The moon rose. Suddenly there came a shout 
from the guard, and Sir Gaston could see several 
men in the act of descending the ladders, some of 
them in their haste losing their grasp and falling 
into the water. They had been smoked out at last. 

Some of the men managed to escape by swimming 
away beneath the surface of the water, coming up to 
breathe too far away to be distinguished in the un- 
certain light of the moon. Two men, however, were 
caught, and were brought before Sir Gaston. 

" How many were you ? ” asked the knight. 

“Too many for you,” replied one of them, defiantly. 

The speaker was a young man, and rash ; the other 
was older and more experienced, therefore less reck- 
less of consequences. The latter murmured a few 
cautionary words to his companion, evidently in re- 
monstrance. Then he regarded Sir Gaston as well 
as he could on account of his stinging eyeballs, and 
said : 

“Our lives are worth more to us than all the 
treasure that cavern contains. Yet will we lose 


190 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


them should we reveal the secret of its hiding-place 
in case we fall into the hands of the Ked Knight. 
And how shall we escape his vengeance, for should 
he discover our lack of faith he would not die till he 
had first killed us ! ” 

“If you do not reveal the hiding-place of the 
treasure before the moonbeams reach the valley be- 
yond, you shall be bound and thrown into the river,” 
said Sir Gaston. “Choose between the risk of the 
Ked Knight’s vengeance and the certainty of mine.” 

The younger man shut his mouth the tighter, 
while the elder said insinuatingly : 

“Good Sir Knight, there is still another way — a 
way that will save our lives and give you two brave 
followers as well as the secret of the treasure. We 
serve for pay ; it matters not in whose cause we fight 
so long as we have food and drink in our stomachs 
and gold in our pouches. I will tell you. Sir Knight, 
of the hidden entrance, if you will promise to take 
us into your service, where the Red Knight’s ven- 
geance cannot strike, and give us our share of the 
treasure.” 

“And what may be that which you deem your 
share ? ” asked Sir Gaston, suspiciously. 

“The same as the rest of your men, no more, no 
less.” 

The Gascon knight was silent for a few moments. 

“Who are you? ” he at length asked. 

“We have come from across the Rhine, and French 


THE FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE. 191 

and English are alike to us. We are soldiers of for- 
tune and serve him best who pays the most.” 

“ Parhleu ! ” returned Sir Gaston, doubtfully. 
“And would betray one master for another for the 
sake of a crown more.” 

“Why have the Gascons revolted against their 
English lord, if not because they hope to get better 
treatment from his French majesty than from his 
English royal highness ? ” asked the German, with 
convincing logic. 

“Thou art a shrewd one,” replied Sir Gaston. “I 
will consider.” 

The end of it was that Sir Gaston promised to re- 
ceive the two German men-at-arms into his service 
in return for the secret of the entrance into the 
treasure chamber. Were not all his men mercena- 
ries, German and Italian, and would not any of them 
be willing to desert him at any moment should the 
enemy offer him more pay ? 

The spring that opened the door giving entrance 
into the treasure chamber proved to be in the floor 
instead of the wall. It was in a crevice between 
the rocks, and on pressing down, a square slab of 
stone was displaced, revealing another spring, which, 
on being pressed, turned an upright slab in the wall 
on pivots, and thus gave ingress into the inner room. 

The Germans told Sir Gaston afterward that at 
the time of the attack there were only eight of them 
in the cave, the others not yet having returned. 


192 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


They had not entertained the slightest doubt that 
the eight of them could defend the upper chamber 
against an attack, no matter how numerous the force 
might be. They had never imagined that any one 
would attempt to enter by the upper openings. The 
last attack had been a complete surprise, for they 
had taken it for granted that the enemy had with- 
drawn for the night. Still they kept watch, all be- 
ing in the central chamber at the time of the night 
attack. When they found themselves attacked, as 
they were, front and back, they knew their safety 
lay in retreat and hiding. Under the cover of dark- 
ness, they opened the secret entrance to the strong 
room and quietly withdrew, every once in a while 
one of them putting his head to the door and shout- 
ing “ Beverly ! ” at the top of his voice. As they 
had hoped, the enemy had fallen to fighting among 
themselves in the darkness and confusion. They 
had expected to wear out the patience of their foe, 
for they had an ample supply of provisions in the 
treasure chamber. At first the smoke had not 
reached them; in time, however, it seemed actually 
to penetrate the porous limestone walls. When the 
air became so black that it was painful to breathe, 
they had opened the spring door, hoping to obtain 
fresh air from the portholes. But the smoke in the 
outer chambers was more dense and stifling than in 
the inner chamber, and it was with the greatest diffi- 
culty that they managed to reach the openings in 


THE FIGHT FOR THE TREASURE. 


193 


the walls. Finding the ladders there, they had de- 
scended them, hoping to escape by reason of the 
river and darkness. 

The rock chambers were duly divested of all their 
treasure. A third of it was distributed among the 
company. Sir Gaston took another third, the remain- 
ing portion was put aside for the ransom of the Maid 
of Bocasse. Eaimond’s share was the gold and jew- 
els contained in the sunken chests, enough to pay 
for his outfit as a knight when he should become 
one, and to equip him for many a tilt and tourney 
with the splendor so dear to a knight’s heart. 

13 


CHAPTER XIII. 


MAHMOUD THE MOOE. 

At any other time Lady Yvette would probably 
have regarded the round black face turned up toward 
hers with both fear and aversion, for never before 
had she set eyes on a black man; but with such 
horror did Sir Hugh’s touch inspire her that she 
scarcely gave the appearance of the dwarf a thought. 

“Trust to me, madame,” he whispered in French, 
but with a strange accent. “I will aid you, ma- 
dame. Sujffer yourself to be conducted thither by Sir 
Hugh, but be in readiness to follow me should any- 
thing happen.” 

This was said so quickly that Lady Yvette had 
time neither to be surprised nor to answer. She fol- 
lowed Sir Hugh passively as he led her from the 
head of the table into that part of the apartment oc- 
cupied by the whirling, prancing, antic-cutting 
dancers. Soon Mahmoud joined in with the danc- 
ers, and made such a comical sight with his awk- 
ward motions and his long robe clinging about his 
legs and threatening to trip him up at every step, 
that several of the hilarious company paused in their 


MAHMOUD THE MOOR. 


195 


gyrations to look and laugh at him. But he pushed 
one here and another there, pulled at a third, and 
jostled against still another, and becoming entangled 
in the flowing skirts of one of the women, threw her 
to the floor. Her sudden fall in the path of others 
of the dancers threw them also. Mahmoud the 
Moor, making an apparently desperate effort to extri- 
cate himself, fell against Sir Hugh, who gave him a 
kick that sent him sprawling on top of the strug- 
gling heap of prostrate dancers. But the little black 
man regained his feet, and projecting his head and 
shoulders between the Bed Knight’s knees, by a dex- 
terous twist of his body succeeded in bringing him 
down also. Quick as thought, Mahmoud extricated 
himself from the tumbled mass of humanity, and 
seizing Lady Yvette by the hand, said in low tones : 

“ Quick, madame ! Follow me ! ” 

He half led her, half dragged her to the upper end 
of the apartment, and pushing aside the arras, dis- 
closed a small door. He opened it, and a second 
later Lady Yvette found herself in the corridor. 

“ Where is madame’s chamber ? ” asked the Moor. 

The corridor was dark. Lady Yvette had not the 
slightest idea of the locality of her chamber, whether 
it lay to the right or left, as they had withdrawn 
from the banqueting room by another door than that 
by which she had entered when conducted thither 
by Sir Hugh. Here was a fresh complication. 
They stood in the darkness, irresolute. The uproar 


196 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


within the banqueting room was deafening. At 
every fresh outburst of drunken merriment Lady 
Yvette shivered. She was now trembling violently. 
The maiden knight, who had mingled in the conflict 
of battle without thought of fear, was now terrorized 
by the sight and sound of drunken revelers. As 
they stood there, the flickering light of a torch was 
seen gleaming through the darkness. The lady 
and the Moor drew back against the wall, seeking 
refuge in the friendly shadow. Nearer came the 
light, till they could distinguish the outlines of a 
woman’s form. Lady Yvette held her breath, then 
gave a low cry of joy, for she had recognized Jeanne- 
Marie, her waiting-woman. 

“Jeanne-Marie! ” she called in a shrill whisper. 
“Wait! Wait!” 

The girl stopped, shielded her eyes with her hand 
from the light of the torch, and peered into the 
gloom. 

“ Here ! It is I — Lady Yvette ! ” 

The girl gave an inarticulate cry. 

“ Hush-sh ! ” cautioned Lady Yvette. 

“Go forward, madame,” whispered the Moor, “and 
make no mention of Mahmoud the Moor to any one, 
I pray you.” 

“I am coming, Jeanne-Marie,” said Lady Yvette, 
in low tones. 

Jeanne-Marie waited till her lady approached 
near enough for her to see her, then put out her 




\ 


!i 


MAHMOUD THE MOOR. 


197 


hand, which Lady Yvette took and was thus led 
through the gloom to her chamber. Once safe in 
the seclusion of her own room, she threw herself 
down upon the bed and gave way to a paroxysm of 
weeping. Jeanne-Marie lighted the wick in the 
lamp suspended from the ceiling, then extinguished 
the torch, and going to her mistress, took her in her 
arms, and drawing the tear-stained face against her 
bosom, soothed her with inarticulate murmurings 
and caresses. 

The unspoken sympathy of her dumb companion 
comforted Lady Yvette. Still it was long before 
she slept, and even then the faithful Jeanne-Marie 
sat by her bedside the whole night through. 

Lady Yvette did not leave her chamber the next 
day. The following morning Sir Hugh sent to in- 
quire why she did not appear, and bidding her pres- 
ence at dinner. She returned answer that she was 
ill and unable to leave her bed. The messenger 
came a second time, saying that Sir Hugh would 
wait two days for her to recover her usual health; 
then, did she not appear at table, he would present 
himself in person to inquire concerning her condi- 
tion. 

Lady Yvette preferred to encounter Sir Hugh in 
company rather than alone. Alone, she was entirely 
in his power; below, there was at least the dwarf, 
who might again prove efficient aid in time of need. 
Why had he espoused her cause against the lord of 


198 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


the castle? How did he, a stranger, know of the 
little door concealed behind the arras? The knowl- 
edge that she had a friend within the castle walls, 
other than her devoted but mute waiting- woman, 
even though a black man and foreigner, raised her 
spirits not a little. She did not feel so absolutely 
defenceless. Perhaps through him she might make 
known her state to her liege. King Charles of Na- 
varre. 

On the second day Lady Yvette attired herself as 
plainly as her limited wardrobe permitted, and pre- 
pared to descend to the room where the knight and 
his suite dined. Jeanne-Marie accompanied her to 
the door of the dining-room; this time Lady Yvette 
took note of the direction, so as to be able to find 
her way back to her room alone, should occasion 
demand it. As she entered the apartment she was 
surprised to see so few at table. Sir Hugh’s place 
was vacant, as were also those usually filled by his 
bachelor knights and squires. The seneschal was 
there, as were also his lady, her maidens, the pages, 
and those officers of the household whose position 
entitled them to a seat at the lord’s table. Lady 
Yvette took her place after saluting the company, 
and was waited upon with the respectful attention 
to which her high rank entitled her. She made no 
inquiries respecting the lord and his attendants, 
thinking they were spending the day with the 
hounds or with the falcons. It was a respite, at 


MAHMOUD THE MOOR. 


199 


least, for by the time the Eed Knight returned he 
would be hungry and sleepy and would probably 
give no thought to her. 

After dinner. Dame Eadegonde, the wife of the 
seneschal, invited Lady Yvette to withdraw with her 
and her maidens to her boudoir. It was here that 
Dame Eadegonde instructed the young women in- 
trusted to her care in certain of the arts of house- 
wifery, including spinning and tapestry work. Lady 
Yvette gladly accepted the invitation, rejoiced to be 
freed from the monotony of her own company and 
that of her dumb waiting- woman. A little later the 
seneschal appeared and challenged his wife’s guest 
to a game of chess. The afternoon passed quickly, 
and five o’clock came, the supper hour, before Lady 
Yvette was prepared for it. Hastily making her 
excuses, she would have withdrawn, but Dame 
Eadegonde, putting her hand upon her arm, said : 

“ Sweet my lady, do not deprive us of your com- 
pany. We are still few, for Sir Hugh and his suite 
have been unexpectedly summoned abroad to engage 
in some enterprise, and will not return for some 
days.” 

After that she spent her afternoons with Dame 
Eadegonde, sometimes playing at chess or backgam- 
mon, sometimes with her fingers busy over the tap- 
estry-frame and listening to Dame Eadegonde’s gos- 
sip concerning the doings of the castle. It was then 
she learned the pitiful history of Jeanne-Marie, and 


200 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


Dame Eadegonde finished her recital with a sigh, 
saying: 

“ I always fear for my demoiselles when Sir Hugh 
is staying at St. Brice. Praise God, it is but sel- 
dom, and no harm has come to any one who has 
been under my care.” 

Lady Yvette saw nothing and heard nothing of 
the Moor. She did not allude to him, for she re- 
membered his request that she should make no ref- 
erence to him. She had now the freedom of the 
castle, for Sir Hugh had left no instructions regard- 
ing her, except that she should not be permitted to 
leave the castle gates. One day, as she was walk- 
ing along the inner wall, she saw the dwarf in the 
outer court. He saluted her respectfully, but made 
no effort to gain speech with her, much to her dis- 
appointment, for she was anxious to learn more of 
him. Also she hoped to be able to send a message 
by him to one of her friends. But the Moor bided 
his time till he met Lady Yvette attended only by 
Jeanne-Marie; then he went up to her, and said: 

“Madame, I am come from your friends to rescue 
you.” 

The young girl looked at him in amazement. 

“Who are you?” she asked. 

“A friend and serviteur of your friends,” was the 
vague reply. 

“How did you discover my whereabouts?” she 
asked. 


MAHMOUD THE MOOR. 201 

“Pardon, madame, but may I speak to your 
woman ?” 

“ Out of my hearing ?” she asked, suspiciously. 

“No, madame; it would be better that you should 
hear and know all.” 

“Speak, then.” 

“Jeanne-Marie,” he said, “wilt thou be faithful to 
Lady Yvette, if when she shall escape she will 
promise to take thee with her? ” 

The girl’s face brightened visibly, and she nodded 
her head affirmatively. 

“I am Joli-coeur,” he continued, “whom you have 
not yet recognized on account of my stained face, 
and also because of this gown which covers my 
crooked limbs.” 

Jeanne-Marie looked at him sharply and for long. 

“ Even yet thou dost not recognize me ? ” 

She shook her head negatively. 

Then he dropped his strange accent and spoke in 
a lower tone of voice, and pulling aside his long 
robe, discovered to her his poor twisted legs. 

“Dost not remember these legs, and who broke 
them ? ” he asked. 

A look of recognition flashed into the mute’s eyes, 
and she nodded a decided and emphatic “Yes.” 

“Thou knowest I have no more reason to love Sir 
Hugh than thyself.” 

A look of malignant hate distorted the girl’s fea- 
tures as she gave vent to an inarticulate cry of rage. 


202 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“I have met those who have succored me and 
who have gained my gratitude, who have not re- 
pulsed me on account of my misfortune,” continued 
Joli-coeur. “And I found them bemoaning the ab- 
duction of Lady Yvette by Sir Hugh, and their anger 
and despair were great because they knew not where 
he had taken her ; and I swore I would find her, for 
no one knows Sir Hugh’s habits better than I; also 
that I would restore her to her own, alone if I could, 
but, if necessary, with the aid of ” 

Lady Yvette interrupted him impetuously: 

“Tell me— tell me all!” 

Then he related all that had happened since her 
abduction — Eaimond’s return to Bocasse, his depar- 
ture northward again to obtain succor for his lady ; 
his meeting with Joli-coeur in the English freeboot- 
ers’ cave; their encounter with Sir Gaston, whom 
Raimond had believed to be dead, and how he had 
at once started to the rescue of Bocasse. 

At this point in the narrative Lady Yvette’s heart 
gave a leap of joy. 

“ Where is he now ? ” she asked eagerly. 

“At Bocasse, madame, was where I left him.” 

“At Bocasse!” she repeated, as if she had not 
heard aright. 

“Yes, madame, at Bocasse, which he will defend 
until your return.” 

“But how came he to be at Bocasse? ” 

Then Joli-coeur went on to tell how Bocasse had 


MAHMOUD THE MOOR. 


203 


been retaken, and that Sir Gaston, though eager to 
set out in quest of her, was reluctantly compelled 
to remain at Bocasse till, as he thought, Messire de 
Bonciel could be brought back by the Damoiseau 
Baimond, who had already departed to find him. 
But Joli-coeur, he said, intended that madame should 
be back at Bocasse as soon as her captain of the 
guard. 

“But how didst thou gain admittance into the 
chateau ? ” asked the Lady Yvette. 

“ By disguising myself, madame, and joining a com- 
pany of mummers, whom I brought to this place as 
the most likely one where Sir Hugh would bring you.” 

“But how didst thou recognize me? Thou hadst 
never seen me.” 

“ Damoiseau Eaimond had told me, madame, that 
his lady was the most beautiful lady in France; and 
when I saw you, madame, seated beside the Bed 
Knight, I knew you could be no other than the one 
whom I was seeking.” 

“ Ah, my good Eaimond ! ” sighed Lady Yvette. 
“When shall I see thee again? ” 

“Soon, madame, I hope.” 

“Yes, yes,” exclaimed the lady, with feverish 
haste. “ Go tell them thou hast found me, and urge 
them to send an army to my rescue ere it be too late. 
Never will the Bed Knight ransom me, and he may 
return at any day,” and then she paused and shivered 
— “ then it may be too late. ” 


204 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“ St. Brice is well fortified and has a strong garri- 
son, madame; much time would be consumed in re- 
ducing it. Perhaps we may find friends within who 
will aid us. Some of the men-at-arms have good 
hearts ; some of them may be won over to madame’s 
cause.” 

“ Ah, if I were in possession of what was once my 
own wherewith I might reward them, they should 
gain largely by leaving Sir Hugh’s service for mine,” 
she said, despondently. 

“Madame need not deplore the lack of gold,” re- 
plied Joli-coeur, quickly. “ I have more than enough 
to pay them according to their deserts ; almost enough 
according to their desires. With the help of Jeanne- 
Marie, and with my good gold pieces to smooth the 
way, madame shall be free before the return of Sir 
Hugh.” 

Ere Lady Yvette could ask whence came this gold, 
Joli-coeur hastily saluted her and withdrew. Glanc- 
ing around, the lady saw one of the pages approach- 
ing. He had come to invite her in the name of the 
seneschal to a game of chess. She assented, and 
followed the youth to the apartment of Lady Eade- 
gonde, where the seneschal awaited her. Her 
thoughts were little on the game, therefore was she 
soon beaten. Hot till after supper was she free to 
seek the seclusion of her own room and to think 
over the joyful news brought her by the supposed 
Moor. 


MAHMOUD THE MOOR. 


205 


She was soon to be free ! To be relieved from the 
hateful attentions of the Eed Knight ! Oh, how dis- 
tasteful his presence was to her ! Her eyes grew soft 
as she thought of Sir Gaston’s hastening to her relief 
as soon as he had heard of her need. Well did he 
deserve Bocasse and its lady! Did he still crave 
them? If so, he should have both so soon as she 
were free ! 


CHAPTEK XIV. 


THE ESCAPE. 

Mahmoud the Moor was a great favorite in the 
soldiers’ quarters, as he was full of quips and jests, 
and could tell a good tale. He recounted the most 
wondrous adventures, for he represented that he had 
been in the service of a great Moorish prince in 
Granada, from whose service he had been obliged 
secretly to fly because he had been converted to 
Christianity. He had fled northward, been captured 
by the Spaniards, who had done him much honor 
because of his wit and learning ; even the king had 
sent for him, and made him a present of handsome 
raiment as well as a purse of gold. Then he had 
crossed the Pyrenees, fallen in with a great lord 
who was on the point of departing for the Holy 
Land in fulfilment of a vow. On their return, after 
having seen the wonders of the Orient, their vessel 
was shipwrecked on the coast of Algeria, and while 
in Africa he had met with adventures that eclipsed 
all the travellers’ tales of that credulous period. 

His tales even threw Othello’s experience into the 
shade, that heroic but unreasonable Moor who wins 


THE ESCAPE. 207 

the love of his lady with tales of the dangers 
through which he had passed, of — 

“Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heaven, 
And of the cannibals who did each other eat. 

The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads 
Do grow beneath their shoulders.” 

In the open space between the inner and outer 
walls the garrison were wont to congregate and de- 
mand a story from the much -travelled Moor, who, 
in truth, was a Frenchman that had never travelled 
farther north than Orleans, nor farther east than the 
Kiver Khone, never crossed the Pyrenees, nor sailed 
the Mediterranean. But Joli-coeur was always ready 
with some fresh invention ; for he had a vivid imag- 
ination, a nimble wit, and a retentive memory, and 
would have made his fortune as a sensational novel- 
ist had he lived five centuries later. Moreover, as 
his listeners knew no more than he did, he was at 
no disadvantage on the score of want of local color- 
ing and verisimilitude, so long as his colors were 
high and his incidents startling. Had he not some- 
thing more wonderful to relate than previous travel- 
lers, his narratives would have been regarded with 
distrust and his veracity discredited. 

One of his most interested listeners was a brigand 
who, by reason of his corpulency, was called Etienne 
le Gros. One day he and four or five others were 
throwing dice, when Joli-coeur took up his stand be- 


208 


THE MAID OF BOCASSB. 


side them and favored the players with his observa- 
tions, that passed for the wisdom of a sage on ac- 
count of his sententious manner of delivery and the 
triteness of their sentiment. 

“ To chance the fortune of a lifetime on the throw 
of a dice is the prudence of fools.” 

"Small are the fortunes of a brigand and soon 
spent,” growled one of the men, known as Jules le 
Hardi, on account of his recklessness. 

" There’s a fortune always for him who knows how 
to seek it,” replied Joli-coeur. 

“And where may mine be? ” asked a young fellow 
called Henri. 

“Wliere mine is, perhaps,” replied Joli-coeur. 
“From the Saracens I learned to cast horoscopes,” 
he continued, “and I have cast thine, Etienne le 
Gros, as well as mine, and the stars say we have 
somewhat to do in common.” 

“A pest on thy horoscopes and stars! ” exclaimed 
Etienne le Gros, throwing aside the dice. “Thy 
coming has sent luck from me. Come, tell us again 
how thou didst escape from those three-eyed men.” 

“Surely, ’tis an old tale well worn with the tell- 
ing,” said Joli-coeur, indifferently. 

“But I have not heard it,” cried Henri. 

“Hor I,” exclaimed Jules le Hardi. 

“Nor I,” echoed Guillaume. 

“ Ell hien ! We — that is, my lord and his retinue 
and crew — set sail from the Holy Land with a ves- 


THE ESCAPE. 


209 


sel well laden with treasure that we had taken from 
the dogs of the infidels, and at first had a good sea, 
fair wind, and a quick sail. But after being on the 
water for a week or two there arose a terrible gale 
that blew us out of our course till we came near a 
country inhabited by the strangest kind of men. 
They were as tall as trees, and were planted along 
the shore like a forest, and their mouths, which 
were of the bigness of buckets, were wide open, and 
a hissing and sucking sound issued therefrom, and 
the air was greatly agitated ; and afterward I learned 
that it was their custom to assemble on the coast at 
certain periods of the year, and by the wind produced 
from their mouths caused hurricanes that sucked 
vessels inward to their shores that they might prey 
upon their cargoes. In spite of all the efforts of the 
sailors to keep the vessel away from the shore, we 
were drawn in. Presently those horrid creatures 
waded out into the water to the boat, and seizing it, 
dragged it up on the beach. Then could we see that 
they had three eyes ; a great eye burned in the mid- 
dle of their forehead above the other two that glowed 
like a live coal when the lid was lifted. This was 
generally kept closed, for did its glance fall upon 
aught, it shrivelled as from a flash of lightning. But 
as the eye did not move in the socket like ordinary 
eyes, if one could only keep out of its range he was 
safe. In fact, the three eyes were immovable; the 
upper one looked straight ahead, the left saw to the 
14 


210 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


right, while the right looked to the left; but they 
could not look downward; and I, being short, kept 
out of their range, while all the others were blasted 
and burned to a cinder as in the twinkling of an 
eye. I hid under a sail, and under cover of dark- 
ness managed to make my escape from the boat into 
the woods. Well, the next morning the monsters 
stripped the bodies of my dead companions of all 
their clothing and threw them into the sea. Then 
they searched the vessel. Their astonishment was 
so great when they discovered the treasure contained 
therein that they forgot to keep their upper eye 
closed, and there were so many of those dreadful 
fire-flashing eyes fixed upon the boat that suddenly 
everything blazed up. The fire frightened the mon- 
sters off, for they were in dire fear of their own fire- 
•dealing power. So they fled to the woods, A 
heavy rain then set in and put out the fire on the 
boat. I crept back into the vessel, which was floated 
off by the heavy rain, and set off at once in the 
storm, master of all that treasure. I did not know 
how to steer a vessel, so I said a prayer to all the 
saints so as to be sure to reach the one that attended 
to such things that he might manage my boat. I 
think they must have all answered my prayer, or 
else tried it, and taken a hand in its steering, for I 
never knew which way I was going. Sometimes it 
was this way, sometimes that, and sometimes no 
way at all.” 


THE ESCAPE. 


211 


"No doubt the saints were trying to settle the 
question as to who was master,” remarked Etienne 
le Gros, gravely. 

"So backward and forward, to one side and the 
other, I sailed,” continued Joli-cceur, without notic- 
ing the interruption ; " and, at length, the saints set- 
tled the matter by sending my boat high up on a 
beach on the shores of France, so battered and 
leaking that I could not have remained another 
night aboard. But what was I going to do with 
all that treasure of gold and silver and precious 
stones ? ” 

"What indeed 1 ” exclaimed Jules le Hardi. "I 
wish I’d been there to have shown thee ! ” 

Joli-coeur looked at him an instant without answer- 
ing, and then said slowly, as if he had just thought 
of it and was not quite sure of his wisdom in giving 
expression to his thought; 

“ Perhaps thou mightst even now be able to help 
me.” 

"How? ” eagerly asked Jules le Hardi, while the 
others cried: 

"And why not I? ” 

“And me?” 

"And me? ” 

Joli-coeur looked gravely at each in turn, and 
then answered with deliberation : 

“Yes, and you others, also.” 

“ What can we do?” And they all crowded about 


212 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


the dwarf in their eagerness. But he was not to be 
hurried. 

“ It still remains to be taken away. ” 

"Where is it? ” was the cry, the men half turning 
as if they were ready to go for it on receipt of his 
answer. 

" In the sands on the shores of the Mediterranean 
not far from Montpellier,” was the reply. 

“Tis in the enemy’s country,” said Guillaume, 
who was more prudent than his fellows. 

"A man’s worst enemy is lack of gold,” said Joli- 
coeur. 

" With gold in our pouches, we’d have need to fear 
neither the English nor the French, nor yet neither 
Navarrese nor Spaniards,” said Jules le Hardi. 

"But the ISTavarrese are no longer allies of the 
English, and should we be taken ” 

" Why should we be taken ? ’’^asked Jules. " Could 
we not serve the King of Navarre as well as the Red 
Knight? ” 

" But how do we know the treasure is there ? ” in- 
terposed Guillaume. "We have no proof of what 
this Moor has told us. Besides it may all be the 
devil’s work.” 

For answer Joli-coeur opened the pouch that hung 
from his belt and drew therefrom some gold pieces 
and a few gems. The men’s eyes lighted up quickly. 
It was worth risking the chance of the Evil One’s 
being concerned in the transaction. Indeed, if there 


THE ESCAPE. 


213 


had not been so many of them, one to bear witness 
against the other, or at least to dispute the possession, 
Joli-coeur and his gold would have soon parted com- 
pany. But each was constrained by the presence of 
the others. The dwarf, perceiving that he had made 
an impression, said slowly : 

“ This is but a sample of what lies covered up by 
the sands of the Mediterranean. He who will go 
with me to help me bear it away shall have half as 
much as he can carry.” 

“ Share the contents of thy pouch with us and we 
will go,” suggested Henri. 

“No,” replied Joli-coeur. “I must keep this to 
pay the expenses of the journey. However, if you 
will swear by the crucifix to aid me, each of you 
shall have two pieces of gold.” 

“ I swear ! ” said all of the men, almost in unison. 

“How shall we arrange to leave the castle? ” asked 
Guillaume, who was always looking out for conse- 
quences. “ Sir Hugh would soon hear of it and pur- 
sue us; then would our heads and gold be missing.” 

“Faith, he must catch us first!” said Jules le 
Hardi. 

“ ParUeu ! That’s a fact ! ” said Etienne le Gros. 

“There are other lords to serve,” remarked Guil- 
laume. 

“He that has gold need serve no master,” an- 
swered Etienne. “ I am growing too stiff and fat to 
fight much longer.” 


214 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“You are all brave fellows,” said Joli-coeur; “too 
good to go hither and thither at a word from a lord 
who gains all the glory and profit, for what would a 
seigneur be if it were not for his followers ? ” 
Wliich all goes to prove that labor agitators are not 
entirely the product of a later civilization. 

“What shall we do? ” asked the practical and pru- 
dent Guillaume. 

“Have you the privilege to leave the castle at 
will?” asked Joli-coeur, overjoyed at the quickness 
of the brigands to swallow his bait. 

“ We may get permission,” replied Jules le Hardi. 

“On horse?” 

“Nay, we are but foot soldiers.” 

“ Do you never ride ? ” 

“ Only when we exercise the horses left in the 
stables.” 

“And when may that be? ” 

“ Almost every fine morning. ” 

“ Keep yourselves in readiness, then. You will 
hear from me within three days,” said the dwarf. 

The next thing for Joli-coeur to do was to provide 
himself with three extra horses, one for himself — 
that were easy to do, for his good humor and merry 
wit made all willing to oblige him — and one each 
for Lady Yvette and Jeanne-Marie; next to devise 
some pretext for them to join the riding party ; and, 
last, to communicate with the Lady of Bocasse. 

His plan was that Lady Yvette and her waiting- 


THE ESCAPE. 


215 


woman should assume the costume of damoiseaux, 
of which there were several in the chateau. He 
must first procure the suits. He visited the tailor- 
ing offices, and while entertaining the cutters and 
sewers with his drolleries, kept a sharp lookout. 
He saw two suits laid aside, just completed. The 
thing was to get possession of them, so he stayed on 
and on until the dusk came, when he managed to 
slip them under his robe, unobserved, though his was 
then a funny fat figure. Then he scraped up an ac- 
quaintance with two of the pages who were receiv- 
ing their nourriture at St. Brice, and upon promis- 
ing to bestow upon each a magic talisman that would 
strengthen the arm that wields the sword and throws 
the lance, making them always invincible when they 
should become knights, he was invited into their 
sleeping- closet, where he succeeded in purloining all 
that was lacking in his two outfits. He proposed 
they should accompany the exercising party the next 
day, so that he might show them the hut of an old 
witch whose aid they might one day find useful, and 
who would dispose of her charms but to a few fa- 
vored ones who were recommended to her by some 
one she knew. The ring he would give to them 
would insure her most powerful charms just by the 
showing of it to her. 

To see Lady Yvette was more difficult, so to one 
of his friends, a serviteur of the inner court, he pre- 
tended a violent passion for Jeanne-Marie, and 


216 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


begged his help to get speech with her. He was 
chaffed on his choice of a mute for a sweetheart, but 
he replied that was the attraction which commended 
itself most powerfully to him, for it was the sourness 
of a woman’s tongue that often spoiled the sweetness 
of her lips. So the domestic serviteur, made com- 
plaisant by a piece of gold, undertook to procure for 
Joli-coeur a private interview with pretty Jeanne- 
Marie. Willing enough was the girl to keep the 
appointment when she learned that it was to be with 
the Moor, for she alone, save her mistress, knew of 
his identity, though he had previously lived in the 
chateau and among its people for over a year. 

To Jeanne-Marie, Joli-coeur confided his plans of 
action, and to her he delivered the pages’ costumes 
that he had secured by cunning. Lady Yvette’s 
movements were not restricted, save that she was 
not to be permitted to leave the castle w’alls; conse- 
quently it would be comparatively easy for her to 
escape in the guise of a page, for only the house 
serviteurs were familiar with her form and features. 
The pages were also free to come and go within the 
walls at will, and also without the walls under 
proper protection. The difficulty would be to substi- 
tute Lady Yvette and Jeanne-Marie for the damoi- 
seaux, Geng and Jourdain. That problem was more 
puzzling to Joli-coeur than any other. At length he 
had solved it. He would get Jeanne-Marie to drop 
into their wine the evening previous to the morning 


THE ESCAPE. 


217 


of their escape some of the powder he had formerly 
used to produce sleep, which he had procured from 
an Eastern merchant, and which had made his life 
in the freebooters’ cave endurable. 

He gave Jeanne-Marie full and careful directions; 
by her expressive countenance and the quick move- 
ments of her head and hands she made him under- 
stand that she comprehended everything he had told 
her and would do it. Unable to speak, yet must 
Jeanne-Marie induce Lady Yvette to dress herself 
in the page’s suit and to follow her to the stables 
directly after the morning meal. However, the 
Maid of Bocasse was quick of comprehension, and 
understood at once that flight was to be attempted, 
and questioned her mute waiting- woman so closely 
that she was enabled to obtain a tolerable idea of 
Joli-coeur’s plans in regard to the escape by the 
nods and shakes of her head. 

As Joli-coeur had foreseen, Jourdain and Geng did 
not make their appearance the morning of the in- 
tended evasion, and the stablemen and boys, as well 
as the brigands, took no heed of the two youths who 
presented themselves in their places, taking it for 
granted that they were of their lord’s household, 
damoiseaux who were training for knighthood under 
his patronage. Once in the open, tToli-coeur, also on 
horseback, rode up to Lady Yvette and led her and 
Jeanne-Marie in another direction than that taken 
by the rest of the party, except by the six brigands 


218 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


who were to escort Lady Yvette to Bocasse, never 
suspecting the true object of their journey. Their 
escape was not noticed till the party returned to the 
castle, and then it was supposed that they had missed 
their way and would shortly return. 

The six brigands were considerably surprised and 
not at all pleased at the addition of the two sup- 
posed pages to their party, and Joli-coeur had some 
difficulty in satisfying them. He did not dare dis- 
close the fact of their being women, especially that 
one of them was their lord’s late prisoner from Bo- 
casse, fearing they would insist upon returning to 
St. Brice with Lady Yvette ; for to assist in the es- 
cape of a captive was a grave offence, a breach of 
loyalty to their lord ; not that their sense of honor 
was so great, but their faith in his promises would 
be broken, as they would no longer believe the tale 
of the buried treasure, and would suspect him of fur- 
ther deception, even did he promise to save them 
from Sir Hugh’s vengeance and to reward them 
largely for their help in aiding the escape of the 
Lady of Bocasse. Therefore, while answering their 
inquiries with apparent frankness, he let fall no hint 
of the truth, but said that the noble youths were dis- 
satisfied with the conduct of Sir Hugh toward them 
in not making them squires, and were returning 
home to their fathers’ castles. He furthermore 
silenced their grumbling by reminding them of the 
terms of their agreement, to-wit: "Every man was 


THE ESCAPE. 


219 


to have as his portion half as much as he could 
carry ” ; no more, no less ; consequently the number 
sharing the treasure was not their concern. There 
was more than enough for all, these young gentlemen 
included; but, as they could themselves see, the 
damoiseaux were not so strong as they, and their 
share would not be so large. 

It was the night of the second day since they had 
left St. Brice, and they had stopped for food and rest 
at an inn in one of the large towns through which 
they passed. Lady Yvette and Jeanne-Marie, hav- 
ing finished supper, had just withdrawn to the upper 
chamber where they were to sleep. Another night 
they would sleep at Bocasse. Lady Yvette was 
standing by the gabled window and looking down 
into the street. A faint smile parted her lips at the 
thought of being so near home. She thought also 
of the handsome gallant knight whose love she had 
doubted, and whom now she believed to have loved 
her for her sake alone and not on accoimt of her 
broad domains. 

There was a clatter of hoofs and a jingling of spurs. 
A small body of horse rode up before the inn. Lady 
Yvette had scarcely glanced at them ere she recog- 
nized their leader. Bushing to the head of the 
stairs, she cried to Joli-coeur, who was still sitting 
at the table below with the six brigands : 

"Quick! Ascend! Sir Hugh has come! Oh, 
Joli-coeur ! ” This last was almost a wail. 


CHAPTEK XV. 


THE PURSUIT. 

As Joli-coeur caught the meaning of Lady Yvette’s 
cry he jumped to his feet. For an instant his heart 
failed him, and his legs refused to support him. 
Leaning against the table so as not to fall, he said 
hoarsely : 

“ We are undone ! ” 

By this time there was a great commotion out- 
side. Horses were stamping, armor was clattering, 
men were shouting; while the innkeeper rushed to 
the door to welcome the newcomers. 

“ Quick ! ” cried Joli-coeur in a low voice. “ We 
must get out of this ! ” 

“What is it? Who has come?” asked two or 
three together. 

“Sir Hugh,” replied the dwarf briefly. 

The six brigands jumped to their feet simultane- 
ously, and looked about for means of escape. The 
innkeeper was conducting his guests in by one door, 
the servants were bringing in food by the other. 
There was no other way for them than to ascend the 
stairs to the chamber where Lady Yvette was await- 
ing Joli-coeur, her face blanched with terror. 


THE PURSUIT. 


221 


Hardly had the last brigand set foot on the lowest 
step when the great gruff voice of the Eed Knight 
was heard demanding supper. 

“We are lost!” cried Lady Yvette, wringing her 
hands. 

Joli-coeur did not reply immediately. He was 
thinking. After a moment he said : 

“ Our position is very difficult. Should the land- 
lord speak of me, we are indeed lost.” 

“Can we not flee?” asked Lady Yvette. “See, 
there is yet the window.” 

“And the street full of passers-by.” 

“Darkness will soon come,” suggested Etienne le 
Gros. 

“There is no other way,” replied Joli-coeur. “We 
must leave to-night as soon as all are abed. The 
innkeeper will be sure to mention us. My unusual 
appearance causes remark. A word in regard to me 
will excite Sir Hugh’s suspicions if he finds I am in 
company with brigands instead of mummers, as I 
appeared with the latter at Saint Brice.” 

“Should he see us,” said Guillaume, grimly, “then 
would he hang us for deserting his service.” 

“ Thou dost not even yet know the Eed Knight if 
thou think that is the worst fate to befall us,” re- 
plied Etienne le Gros. 

“ He hath the malignant wit of the Evil One when 
it comes to devising means of punishment,” said 
Joli-coeur; for the moment forgetting himself. 


222 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“ How shouldst thou know? ” asked Jules le Hardi, 
quickly. 

“ Because it is not the first visit I have paid to 
Chateau Saint Brice,” he answered briefly. 

Lady Yvette walked the floor of the chamber. To 
be taken now would be too horrible. While they 
were still talking, footsteps sounded on the stairs. 
They listened with bated breath. In a moment the 
innkeeper appeared. Very consequential was his 
manner. It was not to every innkeeper that came 
the honor of entertaining such distinguished guests 
as those who had last sought his hospitality. So 
taken up was he with the sense of his importance 
that he did not observe the evident signs of conster^ 
nation among his other guests. 

"A grand seigneur has arrived,” he announced 
pompously, “ with a large company of men-at-arms, 
and they require all the resources of the inn for their 
entertainment; therefore must I ask you and your 
companions to go elsewhere for your lodgings.” 

“ But, innkeeper, are we to be turned away so late 
at night, and no other inn within a league or more ? ” 
asked Lady Yvette, for the sake of getting more time. 

“ There are other inns for such as you,” replied 
the innkeeper, rudely. "As for me, it must be as 
the grand seigneur wills.” 

“ We would have paid for our lodgment and en- 
tertainment with as good gold and with as much as 
my lord, this great baron, whoever he may be. 


THE PURSUIT. 


223 


Here, take this for the food we have already eaten.” 
Opening his pouch, Joli-coeur drew from it two gold 
pieces. One he handed to the innkeeper, the other 
he retained between his fingers. "We will seek 
lodgings elsewhere.” 

Though he spoke confidently, the heart of Joli- 
coeur was heavy, for the only way of leaving the inn 
was through the room in which Sir Hugh and his 
company were supping. 

The sight of the gold changed the humor of the 
innkeeper. ’Twere a pity that it should go into a 
rival’s chest. Perhaps, after all, he might accom- 
modate all his guests. 

"If this chamber will serve you all to sleep in,” 
he said, slowly, " I might be able to explain to my 
lord, so that he would consent to some of his men 
sleeping below. But I cannot give you, as I agreed, 
two rooms — one for these two young gentlemen and 
another for thee and thy men.” 

" We will manage with one room for the once,” 
replied Joli-coeur. His quiet tone did not reveal the 
relief the landlord’s decision had given him. Now 
would they have time to devise some means of 
escape from the inn without encountering the Ked 
Knight. 

"Take this, then,” he said, holding the other piece 
of gold out to the landlord. “ We may leave early, 
perhaps before you are stirring, as we have a long 
day’s journey before us.” 


224 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


The innkeeper took the gold and went downstairs. 
Hardly had the men commenced to plan their escape 
when the sound of steps was once more heard. The 
innkeeper was coming up again. Were they to be 
turned out after all? 

“ I have spoken with my lord. He will permit 
you to stay, but bids you wait upon him in the 
morning. He says if you are masterless men you 
may enter his service, as he has need of more bri- 
gands and pays well.” 

“ Say to my lord that after we have escorted these 
young gentlemen to their destination we shall be 
free to seek a new lord,” replied Joli-coeur. 

"But my lord said naught about thee,” returned 
the innkeeper, a little contemptuously. "Thou 
couldst do little service for any lord.” 

"I but spoke for my comrades,” replied the dwarf, 
mildly, but with relief that he should not have been 
mentioned. 

As soon as silence had settled upon the inn and 
darkness upon the town, Joli-coeur proposed his plan 
for escape. Their apartment had a projecting win- 
dow that overhung the street, which was not fifteen 
feet below. It would not be difficult to let them- 
selves down from the window-ledge. Jules le 
Hardi, an athletic young fellow, proposed to go first. 
Etienne le Gros and Hervis were well advanced in 
years and were stout and stiff ; so Joli-coeur directed 
Guillaume, Henri, and Jean to remain above and 


THE PURSUIT. 


225 


lower the rest of the company to the ground by 
means of a rope made of the bedclothes. A loop 
was knotted in one end that served as a sort of a seat, 
and thus the Lady Yvette, Jeanne-Marie, Joli-coeur, 
Hervis, and Etienne were let down in turn, though 
the weight of the two last-named came near break- 
ing their improvised rope. The three remaining 
brigands easily swung themselves out of the window 
into the street. 

“ How shall we get our horses ? ” whispered 
Etienne, who loved not to walk. 

“We must leave them behind,” answered Joli- 
coeur. 

Etienne le Gros groaned. 

“Already are my legs stiff with much riding, and 

now to walk ” He broke off ; words failed him 

in his extremity. 

“ Thy legs may be minus a head if they refuse to 
serve thee,” replied Jules le Hardi. 

“ We cannot get our horses without arousing the 
people of the inn,” said Joli-coeur. “We are wast- 
ing time that ought to widen the distance between 
us and Sir Hugh. It is but little past midnight. 
There is a fair not many miles off ; we should reach 
it by daybreak. There we may buy horses, and yet 
be able to arrive at Bocasse before the sun sets on 
another day.” 

This information seemed to put new heart into 
them all. They started out briskly in the still night 
15 


226 


THE MAH) OF BOCASSE. 


air. The town had not been left far behind when 
Jeanne-Marie gave a little cry. 

"They are wolves,” said Lady Yvette. 

But the howls were going from them instead of 
toward the travellers. This part of their journey 
had been accomplished in safety despite several other 
alarms, and dawn found them at the fair grounds. 
Though it was yet so early in the day, they had no 
difficulty in procuring refreshment from the enter- 
prising proprietor of a booth that provided food for 
man and beast. They also bought permission to 
rest on the benches and heaps of straw intended for 
the accommodation of patrons who had come from a 
distance and travelled with slender purses. 

" Is it prudent to remain here ? ” asked Lady 
Yvette. “What if Sir Hugh should suspect and 
pursue us ? ” 

" We cannot procure horses until the traders are 
awake,” replied Joli-coeur. “To rest now is to lose 
no time, rather to gain it, for we will travel better 
if fresh.” 

Lady Yvette made no further objection. The 
long night walk had indeed wearied her, and she 
was glad to rest even on the rude bench designated 
to her by the booth owner. 

They slept till the sun was quite high ; then Joli- 
coeur and Etienne le Gros went about in quest of 
steeds to carry them to their destination. The dwarf 
was no judge of horse-flesh, and left the matter of 


THE PURSUIT. 


227 


selection and price to Etienne le Gros, who bought 
the best horses he could find. Joli-coeur did not 
know that the six brigands appropriated the strongest 
and fleetest animals, leaving the inferior ones to 
himself and the two pages. The practised eye of 
Lady Yvette told her of the fact, but she made no 
comment lest it lead to too much talk. Nothing 
must be done to arouse any suspicion in the minds 
of the brigands that the two pages were not what 
they seemed. 

By this time Lady Yvette could no longer restrain 
her impatience. Already it was almost noon. Call- 
ing to Joli-coeur, she implored him to give the order 
to start immediately. 

“Have no fear, madame,” he said, reassuringly; 
“the horses are perfectly fresh, and we shall arrive 
at Bocasse before dark.” 

“If we arrive at all, Joli-coeur,” answered Lady 
Yvette. “I fear the pursuit of Sir Hugh, and will 
continue to fear it until the walls of Bocasse safely 
shelter us.” 

In less than five minutes they were mounted and 
speeding on their way southward. The first part of 
their journey lay through a wooded country, and 
Lady Yvette soon forgot her forebodings and fears in 
the swift exhilarating canter in the fresh crisp air. 
Later they left the shade of the trees and came upon 
a great sandy plain, where there was absolutely no 
protection from the glare of the sun. Here they 


228 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


were obliged to proceed more slowly, for the air 
was warmer and less invigorating, and their horses 
began to show the effects of their long gallop. Lady 
Yvette’s horse particularly showed signs of fatigue, 
lagging behind the others. Joli-coeur kept close to 
her side, as did also Jeanne-Marie. The six brigands 
were in advance, though the dwarf had tried to keep 
three in front of Lady Yvette and three in the rear 
for her better protection. 

“Look,” said Lady Yvette; “they see some- 
thing.” 

The six brigands had drawn rein, and stood wait- 
ing for the rest of the party to reach them. 

“There is a party of horsemen approaching us,” 
said Jules le Hardi. “ Shall we meet them ? ” 

“ I can see naught but a cloud of dust,” said Joli- 
coeur, whose sight was somewhat dimmed with age. 

“ If it be raised by men, perchance they are on their 
way to the fair.” 

Lady Yvette did not agree with him. 

“We are too far from tlie fair, I think,” she said. 

“ Still, we are now in Navarre, and no doubt they 
are friends. Perhaps they may come from Bocasse.” 

“We will wait a little, till we may see more dis- 
tinctly.” 

They waited there in the middle of the road, their 
eyes strained toward the point whence the cloud of 
dust appeared. 

“ If there were any shelter around whereby we 


THE PURSUIT. 229 

might conceal ourselves till we are sure ! ” murmured 
Lady Yvette. 

Suddenly Jules le Hardi, whose eyes were the 
sharpest, leaned forward in his saddle, then ex- 
claimed hoarsely : 

“Nom du diahle ! ’Tis the Eed Knight himself !” 

Scarcely had the words left his lips ere he dug his 
spurs into the flanks of his horse, which plunged 
wildly across the plain, Guillaume following at his 
heels. The four remaining brigands dashed to the 
left, scattering in different directions as they also 
rode swiftly away. Lady Yvette, Jeanne-Marie, and 
Joli-coeur kept close together; one would not desert 
another, thus making their capture easier. The 
brigands were soon out of sight; the other three 
runaways turned their horses’ heads and fled to where 
two roads intersected, hoping, by taking the road 
westward that led nowhere in particular, to escape 
pursuit in case they had not been seen. But they 
soon heard the cry of pursuit. Sir Hugh and his 
men-at-arms had discovered them at the same time 
they themselves had been seen. 

“We must separate,” cried Lady Yvette; and she 
urged her horse toward the west, while Joli-coeur 
and J eanne-Marie sped eastward. But Lady Yvette’s 
horse had gone as far as he could. He tried to do 
now what was expected of him, and stumbled for- 
ward, went a few steps farther, and fell, never to 
rise again. Springing from tlie saddle, the young 


230 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


girl looked about her. Not a friendly tree or rock 
was in sight. A dead level stretched away on all 
sides. She had given herself up for lost, when she 
spied a ditch that was nearly dry. Eunning toward 
it, she found she could lie at its bottom out of sight 
of any one passing along either of the roads. Pres- 
ently she heard the beat of hoofs, and a number of 
horsemen clattered by. Would they take the road 
to the west or the east? Her horse lay in full sight 
should they ride westward. She listened. Her 
heart beat so fiercely and so loudly that she could 
scarcely hear anything else. She felt the throb of 
the earth respond to the beats of hoofs. They had 
not stopped ! She lay there, scarce daring to breathe, 
till she could hear no sound save the thumping of 
her own heart and the buzzing of insects in the 
coarse grass above her. Cautiously she raised her 
head and peered out. Just then she heard the stamp 
in the road as if a horse were seeking to dislodge a 
fly. She drew back quickly, but not before she met 
the eyes of the Eed Knight, that, gleaming with 
malignant triumph, were looking down into hers ! 


CHxiPTEK XVL 


THE BED knight’s VENGEANCE. 

SiE Hugh had uo suspicion that the guests at the 
inn who had engaged the rooms he wanted for his 
suite were any acquaintances of his. When he 
learned that six of them were stalwart men accus- 
tomed to arms, he considered it not unlikely but that 
he might be able to add them to his company, as he 
was always on the lookout for recruits. When morn- 
ing came, and he was told that the party had fled 
during the night, leaving their horses behind, he 
questioned the innkeeper closely regarding them, 
his suspicions being aroused by their flight. As 
soon as he heard that there were a dwarf and two 
damoiseaux of the party, he knew something was 
wrong, for he recognized the description of the dwarf 
as being that of the Moor, whom he had not yet dis- 
covered to be his one-time jester, Joli-coeur. He 
suspected that the dwarf had come from Chateau St. 
Brice. Had he been in company with the mum- 
mers, the knight would not have given him a second 
thought, but the six brigands and the two damoiseaux 
puzzled him. He ordered his horses saddled imme- 


232 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


diately after breakfast, and started with his men in 
pursuit of the fugitives, whom the innkeeper reported 
as having said that they were travelling southward. 
Sir Hugh and his attendants passed them while they 
were seeking refreshment and rest at the fair. He 
had travelled fast and far, expecting to overtake 
them at any moment; but as miles were traversed 
and houses passed without signs or tidings of the 
fugitives, he concluded they must have taken another 
road. Perchance the innkeeper was in league with 
them and had purposely misled him, for they might 
possibly be merchants with valuable merchandise. 
In that case, he would have the merchandise and 
punish the innkeeper, who should learn to his sor- 
row the penalty of deceiving the Pied Knight, 

Sir Hugh had discovered the fugitives as soon as 
they had discovered him. When they had turned 
and scattered, he had ordered his men-at-arms to re- 
capture them. He and several others pursued Joli- 
coeur and the two pages. On reaching the fallen 
horse of Lady Yvette, he had dismounted, ordering 
his companions to proceed, as he was quite sure one 
of the fugitives was not far off. Prom him he might 
learn something of the rest. He had spied the foot- 
steps of Lady Yvette in the dusty road, and a mo- 
ment later saw some one run across the meadow- 
land. Pollowing quickly, he saw the figure suddenly 
disappear. His footsteps made no sound on the 
grass, and he reached the ditch without being heard 


THE RED knight’s VENGEANCE. 


233 


by Lady Yvette. Catching a glimpse of the face of 
the supposed page, he at once recognized his former 
prisoner. It had suited his humor to stand motion- 
less near the ditch until the lady should believe her- 
self safe from pursuit. 

A burning desire to revenge himself upon her for 
her indifference and the desire to win her favor strug- 
gled for supremacy in the heart of the Eed Knight. 
He would subdue her — possess her; and then, should 
she continue to spurn him, he would humiliate her; 
and after, he would satisfy his vengeance with her 
life. 

“Get up,” he said, roughly, when he saw that she 
had recognized him. 

Lady Yvette sprang to her feet and stood regard- 
ing him defiantly. 

“ There is nothing to prevent me from smiting thee 
where thou standst,” he said, with his hand on his 
swordhilt. 

“Nothing, my lord; not even thy sense of the 
courtesy due a lady,” she answered, meeting his 
wrathful gaze unflinchingly. 

“Didst thou expect to escape me? ” he asked, pass- 
ing over the latter part of her reply. 

“ If not, surely I were a fool to try,” she responded, 
coolly. 

When brought under the spell of those calm eyes, 
there came a wavering in Sir Hugh’s purpose, but he 
struggled against the yielding. 


234 


THE MAH) OP BOCASSE. 


“Come,” he said, “thou shall ride back on my 
horse.” He put out his hand to take her by the 
arm. 

“I will follow,” she replied, shrinking from his 
touch. 

“ Dost think I trust thee ? ” he asked, seizing her 
by the shoulder. 

“No, my lord; but there is no chance to escape — 
at present.” 

“Nor later,” he answered, with cruel meaning. 

By this time some of the Ked Knight’s attendants 
were seen advancing toward them, bringing with 
them Joli-coeur and Jeanne-Marie. The appearance 
of the dwarf was strangely altered. No longer was 
he dark of face; for his countenance presented a 
queer streaked appearance. He had perspired freely 
in his effort to outride his pursuers, and much of the 
brown dye had washed off. Sir Hugh gave him a 
searching glance; then, drawing his sword, sprang 
toward the dwarf with extended arm, as if he would 
cut off his head at one stroke. He seemed suddenly 
to change his mind, however, and, sheathing his 
sword, said: 

“Secure the prisoners; and death to all of you by 
my hand if any escape.” 

Two days later they reached St. Brice. Sir Hugh 
had also recognized Jeanne-Marie, and had ordered 
that the three prisoners be] separately lodged. Lady 
Yvette was conducted to her former apartment; the 


THE RED knight’s VENGEANCE. 235 

two others were thrown into the dungeons of the 
keep. 

Day after day passed with Lady Yvette in utter 
isolation. Her food and drink were thrust through 
the half-opened door, but by whom she could not 
discover, try as she would. It seemed the refinement 
of cruelty to leave her in absolute ignorance of her 
fate. Gladly would she have received the announce- 
ment of her condemnation to death. Anything 
would be preferable to this torturing suspense. 

One morning on awakening she found on the pil- 
low beside her head a dagger and a coronet. She 
had no difficulty in interpreting the signs. Mar- 
riage with the Eed Knight or death. She took the 
dagger with a sense of protection, wearing it in her 
belt by day and holding it in her hand at night. 
She feared to sleep, for the presence of those two 
objects showed that there were means of access to 
her room of which she was ignorant. She did not 
believe her midnight visitor had entered through the 
door, for the creaking of the hinges she knew would 
have awakened her. However, she piled everything 
movable against the door at night; still she dared 
not sleep — secret doors were too common in castles. 

Patiently she examined every part of the walls of 
her room. At the head of the bed she found one of 
the panels did not fit as closely as the rest. If it 
were a sliding-panel, the mystery of the presence of 
the dagger and coronet could be easily explained. 


236 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


By pushing the panel aside, an arm could be thrust 
through, and the objects be deposited upon the pil- 
low without awakening the. sleeper. 

She did not dare lie upon the bed so close to the 
panel, and determined to watch all night. How the 
hours dragged! A moment seemed an hour; an 
hour, an eternity. Daylight came without any one 
attempting to enter the room. And so the days and 
nights wore on. She could neither sleep nor eat, 
though her eyes were heavy with weariness and her 
body faint from lack of nourishment. She passed 
the nights in pacing the floor in order not to suc- 
cumb to that overpowering sense of drowsiness, tak- 
ing what rest she dared snatch by day. 

One afternoon she sat in her chair half asleep, 
when a noise suddenly aroused her. Starting to her 
feet, she looked about the room, but could see noth- 
ing to cause any noise. Again came the slight 
sound. Then she recognized it. Some one was 
coming. It was too late to bring her food. Who 
could it be ? She had not long to wait. The door 
opened, and Sir Hugh entered. 

Lady Yvette stood leaning upon the back of her 
chair, for fasting and watching had so weakened her 
that she was scarcely able to stand. 

The Bed Knight came toward her, and would have 
taken her hand to raise to his lips had she not 
shrunk back. 

“Hal ” he exclaimed. “Not yet wearied of thine 


THE RED knight’s VENGEANCE. 237 


own company ? I thought solitude would have cured 
thy unfriendly disposition.” 

“ One may weary of solitude, my lord, yet not wel- 
come intruders,” replied the Lady Yvette, coldly. 

“ Does a lord intrude in his own castle, madame ? ” 

" Even so, my lord, in the apartment of a lady to 
whom his presence is unwelcome.” 

“ Still untamed? ” 

He had come with pacific intentions. Accustomed 
to carry all things before him. Lady Yvette’s cold- 
ness fanned the flame of his passion. He would still 
try to win her, so he said gently, for him : 

“ Thou art in my power, little one. It depends 
entirely upon thyself how thou farest at my hands. 
The time has come for an understanding.” 

"Then have I been unfortunate if I have failed 
to make my lord understand,” said Lady Yvette. 

“ I know not why I have humored thee so long. ” 
Sir Hugh was losing his temper. " Thou canst not 
resist me.” 

She made no answer. Her large eyes were fast- 
ened upon his face as if seeking to penetrate his 
being, to find if therein was the soul of man. He 
could not meet the calm steadfastness of those pure 
eyes, but shifted his gaze. 

“ Which shall it be, love and happiness, or ” 

He paused. 

"Or what, my lord? ” 

" Bather would I not say. Thou hast pleased me 


238 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


as hath no other woman. I am a rough wooer, per- 
haps, but will make a loving lord.” 

Lady Yvette shivered. Sir Hugh read the aver- 
sion in every line of her attitude. His softness hard- 
ened into anger. 

“ Speak,” he said, imperatively. 

“There is nothing to say, my lord, that has not 
already been said.” 

“ Then dost thou force me to say it ! Either thou 
art my bride by to-morrow’s noon or thou shalt die 
before its close.” He advanced a step. “Which 
shall it be ? ” 

“Death, my lord.” 

The calm defiance maddened him. He had ex- 
pected to find her proud spirit broken. 

“ Dost thou know what will precede death ? ” he 
hissed. “ To die is man’s destiny. Sooner or later, 
it matters not, so long as the life that goes before be 
filled with glory and satisfaction. But death after 
disgrace, dishonor, suffering, that is what thou must 
face. Wouldst thou have that soft white flesh seared 
under the burning irons ? Would not those dainty 
limbs writhe upon the rack? Thy spirit is strong, 
but is thy flesh as strong? Many more dauntless 
even than thou have weakened in the torture-cham- 
ber. Would it be less galling to thy pride to yield 
before thy spirit succumbs to the pains of the flesh? ” 

“The pains of the flesh are soon ended,” answered 
Lady Yvette, steadily, concealing the horror his 


THE RED knight’s VENGEANCE. 239 

words caused her. “’Tis better to suffer and die 
than to suffer and live to feel it always.” 

" Thou hast faithful serviteurs who have risked all 
to save thee. Hast thou no thought for them? 
Thou shalt suffer; but for every pang thou endurest, 
they shall suffer a hundred. They are strong and 
can endure much. Death will be slow in coming to 
relieve them.” 

“ Oh, thou monster in human form 1 Thou art 
born of the devil ; thy thoughts are his thoughts, and 
thy deeds his also 1 What have I done to thee that 
thou shouldst seek to torment me so fiendishly ? ” 
cried Lady Yvette, desperately. 

“ I do not seek to torment thee ; I seek thy love. ” 

“Dost thou know love?” she asked, contemptu- 
ously. 

“I know it and feel it.” 

He sprang toward her as if to seize her in his 
arms. She cowered against the wall, with the high- 
backed chair before her as a bulwark. Before he 
had time to drag the chair from her she had drawn 
the dagger from her belt, and, pointing it to her 
throat, cried: 

“ One step nearer, and I plunge this dagger into 
my throat ! ” 

“Listen,” he said, hoarsely. “Unless thou prom- 
ise to be mine, for the Red Knight will not be de- 
nied THAT WHICH HE SEEKS ” — the last words were 
faiiiy shrieked — “ thou and that wretched woman, 


240 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


Jeanne-Marie, shall be taken into the outer court 
and flogged, then be delivered over to the soldiery 
to work their will upon you both. As to Joli- 
coeur, he shall suffer as none has ever suffered be- 
fore. All shall learn that the Ked Knight will not 
be defied.” 

Overcome with horror. Lady Yvette could not 
speak. 

“Which shall it be? Once more I ask, and, by 
all that is evil, it is for the last time ! ” 

But Lady Yvette was past answering. What 
might have happened no one knows had not at that 
instant the apartment been filled with a blinding 
light, accompanied by a crash of thunder that shook 
the castle to its foundations. 

A violent thunderstorm had come up unperceived 
by either Sir Hugh or his victim; both had been too 
much engrossed to notice the preliminary mutterings 
and rumblings. Crash after crash succeeded one an- 
other in rapid succession. Like most of his fellows 
at that time. Sir Hugh was exceedingly superstitious. 
He drew back, and as each succeeding flash illumin- 
ated the room he covered his eyes with his hands. 
Presently he hurried from the chamber, intent upon 
seeking some place where the lightning could not 
penetrate, forgetting, in his selfish fears, his prisoner, 
forgetting also to seize the dagger that could yet de- 
feat his cruel purpose. 

Overcome by the horrible alternative. Lady Yvette 


THE RED knight’s VENGEANCE. 241 

had fainted. The storm passed, night came on, the 
dawn appeared, and Lady Yvette lay upon the floor 
unconscious of the fleeting hours. The stir in the 
courtyard below announced the awakening of the 
household ; still was the young girl oblivious of her 
closely impending fate. 

Within the gloomy dungeons of the keep were con- 
fined Jeanne-Marie and Joli-coeur. There, in its rat- 
haunted, damp stone chambers with earth floors, they 
also awaited their final doom. 

Jeanne-Marie was no longer the comely young 
woman of a few weeks before. Not once, nor twice, 
nor thrice had she been conducted to the torture- 
chamber to suffer for the sake of her whom she had 
sought to serve. The malignity of the Eed Knight 
toward the two women whom he had professed to 
love was more human than brutish ; it is only the 
defeated passion of mankind wherein lurks the de- 
sire for revenge. With Jeanne-Marie his vengeance 
was corporeal in its nature ; with the lady, it was 
directed toward the humiliation of that proud spirit 
that would not yield to his will. Such inconceiv- 
able sufferings had Jeanne-Marie endured that in 
her prayers she begged for the mercy of death. 

Joli-coeur’s poor misshapen limbs had been dis- 
jointed and broken, yet was his spirit undaunted. 
He had suffered so keenly that henceforth pain was 
as nothing; his sensibilities were either blunted or 
paralyzed. 

16 


242 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


In the green woods, outside the castle walls, the 
birds chirped and called and sang ; in the verdant 
fields, the insects buzzed and hummed and flitted ; 
overhead the sun shone ; all nature was glad and joy- 
ous. When Lady Yvette regained consciousness, the 
sun was streaming through the windows that opened 
on the central court. She gazed about her in sur- 
prise at finding herself on the floor. At first she 
remembered nothing of the dreadful interview 
of the afternoon before. By degrees memory re- 
turned. 

She arose with difficulty. The first thing her 
glance fell on was the poniard lying at her feet. 
She stooped and picked it up, almost falling in the 
effort, for her head was light and dizzy. She 
clutched the weapon tightly in her hand ; it would 
save her from degradation, at least. But the doom 
of the self-destroyer was an appalling one — shut out 
from the joys of heaven. Which were better? To 
suffer briefly in this world, or everlastingly in the 
next? To flee from certain pain and humiliation to 
a future punishment, the horror of which is past 
knowing to finite man ? No, no ! The good God, 
the Holy Mother, the Blessed Son, would be merci- 
ful ! Perhaps Sir Hugh had threatened that which 
he had no intention of doing. He could not be so 
utterly devoid of humanity. Did he love her, he 
would desist before dooming her to that which would 
be worse than any physical torture and death. But 


V 


THE RED knight’s VENGEANCE. 243 

in ignoble natures love and hate have a slender divid- 
ing line. Love is but desire; thwarted desire in- 
spires hatred, and hatred demands vengeance. 

Despite her weakened condition, Lady Yvette 
paced the limits of her chamber. Her limbs trem- 
bled with weakness, but she did not know it. She 
was conscious only of that sinking at the heart, that 
quivering, palpitating fear, that increased with every 
sound in the courtyard. There seemed to be an un- 
usual stir below. It must be the bustle of prepara- 
tion. She heard strange sounds in the inner court 
of men shouting. Could it be in derision or ap- 
plause? Were Jeanne-Marie and Joli-coeur under- 
going their final doom ? Her fingers clutched tighter 
the poniard. 

Oh, those horrid shouts that came to her through 
the narrow opening of her chamber on the outer 
court! Oh, the brutality of men! Excite them, 
and they become as ravening brutes ! 

The minutes passed into quarters; the quarters 
into halves, and the halves into hours; still was 
she unbidden to go below. Ho food was brought 
her. It was as if she were forgotten. Ho, that 
would be too good; they would soon come to drag 
her forth. She would leave that room a dead thing. 
The good God is merciful ; He would listen to the 
intercessions of the faithful. There would be loyal 
followers of her father’s house who would pray for 
her and pay for masses to release her soul from pur- 


244 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


gatory. But suppose her fate should not be made 
known to them ? 

The din in the courtyard grew greater, the disturb- 
ance became more violent. It must be near noon — 
the time for the execution of her sentence. Still she 
waited and listened. Then came comparative quiet. 
It seemed as if she concentrated her whole conscious- 
ness in her ears. At length she heard footsteps. 
They were coming for her. 

“ Oh, Seigneur mon DieUj ayez pitie de moi ? Oh, 
Holy Mother, intercede for me ! ” 

She raised the dagger to her throat, but ere she 
had time to use it the hand that held it dropped 
nerveless, and she sank swooning to the floor. 


CHAPTEE XVII. 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 

Henri and Guillaume had escaped pursuit, as had 
probably the other four brigands, for nothing more 
is known about them. The two first-mentioned not 
being acquainted with that part of the country, neither 
knowing the exact location of Joli-coeur’s supposi- 
titious treasure, made their way in a southwesterly 
course. It was at the same time that Sir Gaston 
was returning to Bocasse from the freebooters’ cave, 
laden with the wealth that the Gascon knight had 
decided to deposit in the keep of Bocasse for safety. 
It was not surprising, therefore, that the two fleeing 
brigands should find themselves confronted by a 
large company of mounted armed men. As they 
had done nothing to make them fear any man save 
their late lord, the Eed Knight, they made no effort 
to evade Sir Gaston; instead, offered to hire them- 
selves to him, as being masterless men. 

Sir Gaston put a few inquiries, but references for 
good character were not essential in those days, and 
Henri and Guillaume easily satisfied Sir Gaston 
without revealing their former connection with Sir 
Hugh de Beverly or their flight from St. Brice. 


246 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


Sir Gaston made a brief stay at Bocasse ; he was 
eager to be on the road again, hoping to gain news 
concerning the whereabouts of the Red Knight which 
would lead to the rescue or ransom of Lady Yvette. 
The information he would have given so much to 
gain was at his hand, if he had but known it ; neither 
did the two fugitives, who felt themselves ill-used 
by fate to be thus balked of a fortune, know that 
it would still be theirs would they but open their 
mouths and tell of their flight from Sir Hugh’s castle 
in company with a dwarf and two pages. Thus two 
roads run parallel the one with the other, two trav- 
ellers, hoping to meet, journey side by side uncon- 
scious each of the other’s presence, because there is 
no friendly break in the hedge that shuts out each 
from the other’s view. 

So Sir Gaston, accompanied by Raimond as usual, 
began his journey northward, intending, should he 
hear nothing of the Red Knight on the way, to re- 
join Sir Bertrand, believing that sooner or later he 
must get news of the abductor and would-be de- 
spoiler of the Lady of Bocasse. As they could travel 
only as fast as their slo'west horses, their progress 
was not very rapid. 

Raimond, boy-like, made friends with high and 
low, provided he was attracted by them, and was 
wont to visit the soldiers’ quarters, for he delighted 
to listen to the account of their adventures. Henri 
and Guillaume were vainglorious like their fellows, 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


247 


and indulged in great bragging and loud boasting. 
Being exceedingly loquacious, their garrulity sur- 
passed their prudence, and one day Henri gave utter- 
ance to a remark in Eaimond’s hearing that revealed 
the fact that he and Guillaume had been in the ser- 
vice of the Bed Knight. 

“ When did you men serve under the banner of 
the Bed Knight?” asked Baimond, quickly. 

But Henri and Guillaume at once scented danger, 
and answered warily, as if by the same voice, for 
each was trying to head off any damaging admis- 
sions by the other: 

“Some time since.” 

“Did either of you ever hear of Joli-coeur?” still 
questioned Baimond. 

Both answered in the negative, for they had known 
the jester as Mahmoud the Moor. 

“He must have been before our time,” added 
Henri, incautiously. 

“ Then you have been with Sir Hugh de Beverly 
but recently ? ” persisted the youth. 

But the two brigands adhered to their first state- 
ment that it was some time ago, pretending to have 
forgotten just how long it was. 

Baimond was not satisfied. He saw it was no 
use to question the men further. Neither did he 
speak to Sir Gaston concerning his discovery. The 
Gaston knight was quick of temper, impulsive in 
action, and the boy feared that he would perhaps 


248 


THE MAH) OF BOCASSE. 


make matters worse with his threats, and their ful- 
filment, too, did the men prove obstinate. So he 
visited the soldiers’ quarters still oftener, treating 
Henri and Guillaume with particular favor. 

One day he said confidently : 

“I have heard much of the valor of the Eed 
Knight; and of his dexterity with the sword and 
lance, as well as of his strength with the battle-axe. 
If my lord. Sir Gaston, would but meet him in open 
field, he’d show him that though dexterous, strong, 
and brave, there was one yet more dexterous, strong, 
and brave than he. Ah, but it would be a pretty 
combat ! ” 

“The Eed Knight can unseat any knight that 
strides a horse, even the redoubtable Breton knight. 
Sir Bertrand du Guesclin,” answered Henri, stoutly. 

“ I would have to see it before I would believe 
that,” replied Eaimond. 

Then Henri and Guillaume, each trying to outdo 
the other in loudness of speech and vehemence of 
gesture, began to relate some of the remarkable 
achievements of their late lord; and the marvellous- 
ness of the deeds, one may be sure, lost nothing in 
the telling. 

“ And where may the Eed Knight now be ? Did 
I but inform my lord of Ambricicourt, he would send 
him a challenge, and perhaps they would arrange for 
a tourney.” 

“No doubt he is at St. Brice. If not, the seneschal 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


249 


would know where to get word to him,” replied 
Henri, who was the more impulsive of the two 
men. 

“ When did you leave him there ? ” 

“In faith, we left when he was not there,” replied 
Henri. 

“Then,” said Eaimond, quickly, “you journeyed 
from St. Brice to Bocasse? ” 

“Yes,” answered Henri, finally cornered. 

“ Why did neither of you say so before ? It would 
have put gold into your pouches.” 

“How so?” they asked. 

“ Sir Gaston will reward largely any one who can 
give him news from St. Brice,” replied Eaimond. 

After receiving this information, the fugitives 
showed no lack of communicativeness. They proved 
themselves very willing to tell all they knew about 
St. Brice, Sir Hugh, the household, the Moorish 
dwarf, and mentioned their companions in the at- 
tempted evasion, not forgetting the two pages. They 
told the story of- their escape from the time they left 
St. Brice until they met Sir Gaston and his company. 

Eaimond, after listening to all they had to tell, 
lost no time in repeating what he had heard to Sir 
Gaston, who warmly praised the boy for showing so 
much skill and wisdom in the way he had obtained 
this valuable information. He sent for Henri and 
Guillaume at once, and questioned them about the 
fortifications and defences of St. Brice, and of the 


250 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


plan and arrangement of the chateau — of its garri- 
son, its inner defences ; in short, gained such impor- 
tant knowledge as would serve him well in his pre- 
meditated attack. But from what they said, he saw 
that it would be useless for him to attempt to attack 
the chateau with his present force. Nothing but an 
army equipped with all besieging apparatus could 
even hope to capture the chateau, so strongly was it 
fortified, so effectively were its approaches defended. 
He must, therefore, apply for aid to King Charles of 
Navarre, who was under feudal obligation to succor 
his vassal in her time of need. 

******* 

After taking Limoges, Sir Bertrand had continued 
to wage war in Limousin, where he received a mes- 
sage from King Charles summoning him to Paris. 
Now, things had not been prospering in the north of 
France, for the northern provinces were being laid 
waste by Sir Eobert Knolles, an English captain, 
who advanced so near Paris that the king could see 
from his residence, the Hotel Saint-Pol, the smoke 
of the burning villages fired by the English. 

It was in this extremity that King Charles V., at 
the request of old Constable Moreau de Fiennes, 
whose infirmities compelled him to resign his hon- 
orable position, sent for the Breton knight as the 
person best qualified to fulfill the duties of this oner- 
ous and exalted position. 

Disguised as a travelling trader, Sir Bertrand passed 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


251 


unrecognized through the enemy’s lines, and made 
his way to Paris. Attended by a single squire, and 
attired very plainly, he unostentatiously rode through 
the streets of Paris to Hotel St. Pol amid the enthu- 
siastic acclamations of the populace, who were filled 
with admiration for his valor and success. 

King Charles received him with honor and cor- 
diality, surrounded by his ministers and all the high 
officers of his court. And then only did Sir Bertrand 
know why he had been summoned to Paris. When 
the king informed him of his intention to make him 
Constable of France, Sir Bertrand made answer: 

“ Most dear and noble king, your good pleasure I 
dare not resist ; but I am come of a lowly house, and 
it is a necessary part of the duty of the lofty office 
of constable to bear rule over all, more over those of 
high degree than those of humble rank. How, then, 
shall I venture to rule your royal brothers and 
nephews, who will assume commands in the army? 
Besides, I fear the envy my advancement will cer- 
tainly excite. Therefore, I pray you to excuse me 
from accepting this office, and to bestow it upon an- 
other who will take it more willingly and fill it 
more worthily.” 

To which- the king replied : 

" Sir Bertrand, do not on this account seek to de- 
cline it. I have neither brother, cousin, nephew, 
baron, nor count in my kingdom who will not gladly 
obey you ; indeed, if such a one there were, he would 


252 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


incur my severe displeasure. I pray you, therefore, 
accept this office.” 

Not content with thus honoring him, the king en- 
tertained Sir Bertrand at a great banquet, made him 
sit at his own table, and bestowed upon him vast 
estates. 

Once Constable of France, Sir Bertrand devoted 
all the energy of his great abilities to promoting the 
best interests of his country, and in doing this he 
undertook the subjugation of the great captains of 
the Free Companies, who were again pillaging the 
people, and sparing neither castle nor town. What 
the people did not pay in taxes to their own lords 
and king was taken from them by the English and 
the Free Companies. King Charles knew he could 
not fight two such powerful foes at once, so he be- 
sought Sir Bertrand to destroy the strongholds of the 
captains and to buy the services of their followers. 
So long as knights like Sir Hugh de Beverly were in 
possession of fortified towns and castles, it was al- 
most impossible either to pimish or buy them, for 
they considered themselves safe from vengeance by 
reason of their numbers, and privileged because of 
the eagerness of the opposing parties to secure their 
co-operation. 

Particularly loud and many were the complaints 
against the Bed Knight, so Sir Bertrand determined 
to make an example of him. He kept himself ad- 
vised of his movements, and when he learned of his 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


253 


absence from St. Brice — that absence of which op- 
portunity Joli-coeur had tried to take advantage to 
rescue Lady Yvette — he immediately started south- 
ward with a small body of picked men-at-arms to 
surprise the chateau before the lord’s return, of which 
he had not heard. 

Du Guesclin had but a hundred men with him, 
but he knew every one of them to be tried and true. 
He sent scouts in advance to reconnoitre, and they, 
meeting a large party of woodcutters, learned that 
the garrison of St. Brice had made demands upon 
the neighboring peasants for a large supply of fuel. 
Hastily returning to Sir Bertrand, they informed him 
of this opportunity, of which he at once prepared to 
take advantage. 

The next morning, when the woodcutters assem- 
bled at the appointed spot in the forest, what was 
their dismay to find armed men close in about them 
from the shelter of the dense forest. The peasants 
made no resistance — they had too much respect for 
their superiors. Armed with their sharp axes, the 
brawny fellows could have made a stout fight if it 
had occurred to them. But they passively yielded 
to the demands of Sir Bertrand, which were for them 
to deliver their outer clothing and all the wood they 
had cut the preceding day. As there were only 
thirty of the woodcutters. Sir Bertrand selected 
twenty-nine of his stoutest fighters, bade them fol- 
low his example and each put on a woodcutter s 


1 


254 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


dress over his mail, to take a load of wood on his 
back, and to accompany him to the castle, which 
was but a little way from the forest. The remain- 
ing men-at-arms were told to prevent the woodcut- 
ters from giving the alarm, and to conceal themselves 
in the woods until they should hear his signal, to 
which they were to respond as quickly as possible. 

It was still early in the morning, before the in- 
habitants of the castle were about, when Sir Bertrand 
and his brave men presented themselves before its 
barriers in the guise of woodcutters. 

The warders opened the castle gates to them with- 
out parley, as they were aware of the requisition 
upon the peasants for wood. Sir Bertrand entered 
first, and with bowed head and body trudged on 
under his heavy load until all were inside ; then he 
and his men threw down their loads so the gates 
could not be closed. Casting off his disguise, Du 
Guesclin drew his sword, shouting his battle-cry : 

“ Guesclin ! Forward, my friends, forward ! ” 
Immediately the garrison began to pour forth, arm- 
ing themselves as they ran. 

“ Come on, you Sons of Evil ! ” shouted Sir Ber- 
trand. “Here’s your wood, which shall cost you 
dear. It is to warm your bath, and it is with your 
blood that we shall fill your tub ! ” 

Hurling back his challenge, the garrison set upon 
him and his companions. They were much more 
numerous than he was prepared for, on account of 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


255 


Sir Hugh’s unexpected return. But the remainder 
of his company, not awaiting his signal, had rushed 
up to the castle as soon as they had seen their leader 
pass the barriers, and dashing in through the gates, 
thus enabled him to hold his position. The conflict 
was a severe one, and was obstinately contested. 
To his utter amazement, and interfering with his 
calculations. Sir Bertrand found himself face to face 
with Sir Hugh, whom he recognized by the crest 
upon his helmet and the device upon his shield. 

The garrison were decidedly getting the better of 
the fight, and the attacking force found themselves 
at a disadvantage. It was impossible for them to 
retreat or advance, as they were hemmed in on all 
sides. But they did not heed their danger, for in 
those days fighting was a hand-to-hand combat, there 
being really no concerted action. It was for that 
reason that personal prowess and valor were rated 
so highly. In hand-to-hand conflicts no one thought 
of his neighbor, noticed no one but his assailant. 
Du Guesclin, who had laid many a combatant low 
with his powerful battle-axe, had fared hardly, 
though he was but dimly aware of the fact that one 
arm was broken, and was conscious of the wound in 
his forehead only because of the blood that flowed 
from it, which, getting into his eyes, half blinded 
him. He was now engaged with Sir Hugh himself, 
who was unhurt and was fighting with a maniacal 
fury. Taking his battle-axe with both hands, he 


256 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


brought it down with all his might upon Sir Ber- 
trand, who, raising his battle-axe at the same in- 
stant, found it broken in his hand from the blow it 
had intercepted. 

At that moment the tramp of horses would have 
been heard had any stopped to listen. Sir Bertrand 
had taken the precaution to station outposts, fearing 
Sir Hugh might get hint of his movements and re- 
turn to the rescue of his castle. The situation was 
desperate enough as it was, and should the newcom- 
ers prove to be allies of Sir Hugh’s, it would be all 
up with Du Guesclin and his men. The outposts’ 
duty was to prevent any succor, so, putting on a 
bold front, one of them shouted to the new- 
comers : 

“If you are not for King Charles of France, if you 
are English, fly ! For were you double your num- 
bers, you will all be slain, for Bertrand du Guesclin 
and five hundred French with him are confessing the 
English ! ” 

“ We are friends ! ” cried the foremost one. 

And lucky enough it was for Du Guesclin at that 
moment that Lady Yvette had so loyal and brave a 
kinght for a lover as Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt, as 
it was no other than ho who headed a small army 
that had come to get possession of the Lady of Bo- 
casse. 

The garrison yielded after a brief struggle, when 
it realized the strength of the reinforcement of the 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


257 


Breton knight. So Sir Hugh de Beverly was taken 
prisoner in his own chateau where he had so long 
ruled with the heavy hand of a tyrant. Those of 
the garrison who were not wounded were turned 
adrift with scant ceremony, to find subsistence as 
best they might. The wounded were carried to the 
guard room in the soldiers’ quarters, while Sir Hugh 
was taken to the keep and placed in one of the upper 
chambers, with guards posted outside the door. Sir 
Bertrand expected that the knight would be allowed 
to purchase his liberty, but the amount of his ran- 
som was not yet fixed. Perchance, too, the king of 
France would prefer to keep him a close prisoner till 
the present war with the English was ended, that 
he might not further harass the French. 

As soon as order was restored. Sir Gaston asked 
permission of Sir Bertrand to question the Bed 
Knight concerning the Lady of Bocasse. Sir Ber- 
trand, who had just had his wounds dressed and his 
broken arm set, not only gave his consent for Sir 
Gaston to see his prisoner, but declared he should 
accompany him. 

Sir Hugh was pacing the floor of his room like 
some enraged wild beast that had been captured and 
caged. He paused in his walk as the two knights 
entered the chamber, and glared savagely at them 
without returning their greeting. 

“We have come, Sir Knight,” began Sir Bertrand 
courteously, “to inquire concerning a certain lady 
17 


258 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


whom you hold for ransom, that the terms thereof 
may be arranged and the said lady recover her lib- 
erty.” 

The Ked Knight regarded Sir Bertrand for a mo- 
ment without making reply, then said shortly : 

“You have come too late.” 

“ What do you mean? ” shouted Sir Gaston. 

“ ’Tis by her own choice she remains with me,” he 
replied, shortly. 

“Explain, that I may understand you,” said Sir 
Gaston, with forced calmness ; he had a terrible fear 
that the Bed Knight might have succeeded where he 
had failed. 

But Sir Hugh took no notice of him. 

Sir Gaston was not a patient man, and sprang 
upon Sir Hugh, exclaiming : 

“ Speak, I tell you ! ” 

Sir Hugh was unarmed, but he prepared to defend 
himself. However, Sir Bertrand tried to separate 
them, saying: 

“ Knights should not fight with teeth and claws 
like wild beasts. Seek satisfaction in knightly fash- 
ion on the field of honor, but leave to dogs the man- 
ner of dogs.” 

But the two enraged men would not listen to the 
voice of reason, and continued to struggle togetlip-r 
like the dogs to which Sir Bertrand had compared 
Ibem. By a thrust of his foot the constable suc- 
ceeded in tripping them up, then he proceeded calmly 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


259 


to seat himself on the back of the uppermost man, 
which chanced to be Sir Gaston. This double 
weight nearly suffocated Sir Hugh, while Sir Gas- 
ton could not dislodge the burly constable and fight 
Sir Hugh at the same time ; consequently. Sir Ber- 
trand succeeded in making them both listen to what 
he had to say. 

He permitted them to rise, but was interrupted 
by what seemed to be shrieks of agony. 

“ Whence do those cries proceed ? ” he asked. 

Sir Hugh made no answer, save to smooth his 
beard with a satisfied air. 

“ Hast thou prisoners below ? ” persisted Sir Ber- 
trand. « 

“Thou hast conquered the castle and made its 
lord captive. Now make thyself master of their 
secrets,” replied Sir Hugh, coolly. 

“ By St. Ives and the Blessed Virgin, that will I 
do ! ” exclaimed Sir Bertrand, and motioning to Sir 
Gaston to follow him, he left the chamber, ordering 
the guards to lock the door and to have a strict 
watch maintained day and night. Then he pro- 
ceeded to investigate. The keep was a large 
building, and as the apartment where Sir Hugh 
was confined was on the second floor above the 
ground, if the cries came from the underground 
dungeon, there must be some communication be- 
tween them. 

“ A watch must be set also at the exit of the dun- 


260 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


geons/’said Sir Bertrand, “else may our prisoner es- 
cape by means of a secret passage. Where is the 
warder? ” 

That officer was near at hand. 

“Conduct us to your prisoiners,” directed the con- 
stable. 

Down steep stone steps, through damp narrow 
passages, the warder led the way. Then he unlocked 
a heavy oaken door that creaked dismally on its 
hinges as it was flung back. The shrieks that had 
not been heard in the corridor above now sounded 
shrilly, but the cell was empty, though showing 
signs of recent occupancy. At the farther end was 
another door. This also the warder unlocked ; and 
when opened, the cries sounded still louder. In the 
centre of this apartment was a round hole, and it 
was from the bottom of this hole whence came the 
shrieks, now growing fainter, evidently from weak- 
ness. The stench was overpowering. All was as 
dark as midnight save where the torch carried by 
the warder’s attendant cast an uncertain flickering 
light. 

“ Are there human beings below ? ” asked Sir Ber- 
trand. 

“They were put there before daylight,” answered 
the warder. 

“ How may we descend ? ” inquired Sir Bertrand. 

“By means of this ladder,” was the reply. 

“We will go below,” declared the constable. 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 261 

The ladder had been leaning against the wall. It 
was brought forward and lowered into the hole. 

“Descend first,” said Sir Bertrand to the warder. 

As that officer showed no hesitancy to do Sir Ber- 
trand’s bidding, the constable followed him. Once 
at the bottom, what a sight the flickering light of the 
torch revealed ! 

Great hairy bodies of huge rats were seen scurry- 
ing hither and thither in their effort to escape the 
unusual intrusion. The earthen floor was strewn 
with human hones from which the flesh had long 
since been gnawed. Stone posts stood at intervals 
in this grewsome chamber, and from these hung 
chains to which were attached strips of what had 
once been clothing and fragments of fleshless bones, 
that had once been part of human bodies. 

The cries that had ceased for a moment now 
started anew. They came from one corner of the 
apartment. Picking his way through this charnel 
house. Sir Bertrand found a twisted, misshapen lit- 
tle figure bound to one of the posts. It was Joli- 
doeur. 

Despite one broken arm, the wound in his fore- 
head, and his desperate fight of the early morning. 
Sir Bertrand had still strength enough to cleave with 
his sword the chains that held the faithful Joli-coeur, 
who fell in a heap at his feet, his broken legs being 
unable to bear the weight of his body. The Breton 
knight commanded the warder to raise him and carry 


262 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


him in his arms to some place where he could be 
properly cared for. As the warder picked up the 
dwarf in his arms, the latter gave a cry of pain. 

“Oh, take heed, good master, take heed! My 
poor bones are broken in many places ! But there 
is another at the farther end. Succor her also, I be- 
seech you, ere it be too late ! ” 

One of the attendants now carried the torch, and 
him Sir Bertrand bade lead the way to the corner 
designated by Joli-coeur. There they found Jeanne- 
Marie also chained to a stone post, but her head 
rested upon her breast, so they could not see her 
face, and she made no sign at their approach. Look- 
ing closely at her. Sir Bertrand said: 

“She is already dead.” 

When Sir Gaston saw Joli-coeur, he at once recog- 
nized him from Baimond’s description. Impatiently 
he waited while they carried him to a room that 
contained a bed. Once he was laid thereon, Sir Gas- 
ton began to question him, but the poor little man 
could not answer, for he had fainted. Sir Gaston 
did not tarry while they revived him, but made in- 
quiries of the first person he met, who fortunately 
proved to be the seneschal. 

“ Is there not a noble lady, a prisoner, within the 
chateau, messire?” he asked. 

“Yes, my lord; ’tis the Lady Yvette, once the 
Lady of Bocasse, whom Sir Hugh expects to make 
his wife.” 


ON TO SAINT BRICE. 


263 


“Can I not have speech with her? ” 

“ That is as Sir Bertrand commands, for he now is 
lord of St. Brice and all it contains.” 

“ Surely the lady may be informed that a friend 
craves the privilege of greeting her,” said Sir Gaston, 
impatiently. 

At this moment Sir Bertrand appeared, and when 
the Gascon knight explained the situation and his 
request to see the lady, he said at once : 

“ Inform the lady that she is free to stay or to re- 
turn to her home, as she pleases, and also that two 
knights crave sight and speech of her.” 


CHAPTEE XVIII. 


AT LIMOGES. 

It was the wife of the seneschal who took the 
message of Sir Bertrand to the Lady of Bocasse. 
This good dame had felt strongly for the young girl, 
whom she knew had been offered an alternative to 
her marriage with^ the Eed Knight that was worse 
than death. She experienced no great disappoint- 
ment when she found that the French had success- 
fully surprised the castle, for she was French by 
birth and at heart. Joyfully she took her way to 
the lady’s chamber, eager to make known to her the 
glad tidings of her rescue. She put the key into 
the lock and turned it with difficulty, exclaiming as 
she opened the door: 

“ Oh, madame, madame, may God be thanked, and 
the Holy Mother and all the Saints, that this good 
thing has happened ! ” 

As she saw the girl stretched out upon the floor, 
her face the hue of death, the woman gave a cry of 
fear. Stooping, she put her fingers to the white 
throat to feel if the heart still beat. A slight flutter 
told her life was not extinct. She called to her 


AT LIMOGES. 


265 


women, and together they lifted the now slight form 
and laid it tenderly upon the bed. The swoon was 
a long one. More than once the women who were 
working over Lady Yvette almost gave up hope. 
Still they persevered, and were at length rewarded 
by returning consciousness. Suffering, lack of sleep 
and food, had told heavily upon the girl, and it was 
over a week before Dame Eadegonde told her of the 
knights’ message. 

But Lady Yvette showed a strange reluctance to 
seeing her rescuers. She asked them to wait a lit- 
tle. She had her own reasons for this request which 
she did not explain. She ascribed her escape to the 
intercession of Sainte Marie, and to show her grati- 
tude for her deliverance and to do penance for her 
determination to take her own life before enduring 
the ignominy of the Eed Knight’s vengeance, she 
had resolved to see no one until she had visited the 
shrine of the Blessed Virgin, and there had registered 
a vow to erect a fitting memorial to her, as substan- 
tial evidence of her adoration and gratitude. 

Through the seneschal’s wife she sent thanks to the 
two knights for their succor, and also special ac- 
knowledgment to Sir Gaston for his recovery of Bo- 
casse. 

When Sir Gaston again begged to see her, she re- 
turned reply : 

“Not yet; there are some things first to be done.” 

Then, in his disappointment. Sir Gaston jumped 


266 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


at the conclusion that the Eed Knight had succeeded 
where he had failed, and he begged permission of the 
constable to permit him to send a challenge to Sir 
Hugh to meet him in single combat. Sir Bertrand 
gave his consent. Kaimond was bidden convey the 
message, but he returned after a short absence with 
the startling announcement that the Eed Knight was 
no longer in the chamber where he had been confined 
under a strict guard. This information was instantly 
conveyed to Sir Bertrand, who sent for the warder 
and demanded why he had allowed the prisoner to 
escape. 

“ He was there, my lord, when his food was taken 
him this morning. I had four men on guard in 
whom I can put full reliance, and who swear that 
no one has entered or left the apartment since he 
was given his breakfast, except the damoiseau sent by 
Sir Gaston, and who brought an order from you. 
Then when the door was opened, it was found that 
Sir Hugh was no longer within.” 

“ Then is he in hiding,” said Sir Bertrand. “ Search 
the secret passage leading from his room to the dun- 
geon below.” 

This was done with no result. 

“There is, no doubt, some secret door,” exclaimed 
the seneschal, after all places had been searched, “ of 
which he only knows. He has many trusty servi- 
teurs who could effect his escape from the chateau, 
once he was outside his room.” 


AT LIMOGES. 


267 


The one most strongly affected by this news was 
Sir Gaston. The constable was in possession of the 
castle, which was the main thing to him ; but the 
Gascon knight had been foiled of his vengeance. 

When Lady Yvette was questioned in regard to 
her last imprisonment when none had been permitted 
to visit her, she would shudder, shake her head and 
remain silent. Never did she speak of Sir Hugh’s 
dreadful threat or of his visit. The memory of both 
was seared upon her brain, and the horror burned 
upon her heart, but of them she never spoke except 
at confessional, where she received comfort and ab- 
solution. 

She was soon ready and eager to return to Bocasse. 
There would she thank and reward her lover for his 
gallant services, did he still crave the guerdon he 
had once begged. 

While Lady Yvette had been recovering from her 
illness and trying to make her peace with offended 
Heaven, there had come to St. Brice a knight riding 
at full speed from Limoges, saying that the Black 
Prince had laid siege to that town, and though un- 
able to sit a horse on account of illness, had himself 
carried in a litter about the fortifications that he 
might personally direct operations for taking the 
town, for hot was his heart with anger against the 
people of Limoges. The people were much alarmed 
and wished to surrender, but the French captains, 
who were in command of the garrison, would not 


268 THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 

permit a capitulation, for the city was well fortified 
and could not be taken by assault, and the garrison 
was large and prepared to resist to the last. How- 
ever, the knight had succeeded in making his es- 
cape from the town and had come to implore Sir 
Bertrand to engage the enemy in the rear while the 
garrison sallied forth from the town and attacked 
them in front. Sir Bertrand had disbanded his army 
of the south and had retained only about two hun- 
dred lances. Of these he had but a small portion 
with him. It was impossible to leave St. Brice be- 
fore he had razed its fortifications, neither could he 
spare any of his men. Sir Gaston immediately gave 
orders for his company to prepare for the enterprise, 
and off he set that very day to go to the aid of Limo- 
ges. 

Much would Sir Gaston have given for a sight of 
Lady Yvette’s fair face ere parting, but he was too 
proud to ask again for that which had already been 
refused him. 

When Sir Gaston was well on his way, the Navar- 
rese members of his company declared their purpose 
of returning to their king, who had lent them to fight 
Sir Hugh de Beverly and not the Black Prince ; for 
so great was the reputation of the English prince, 
that few were willing to fight against him unless in 
company with double the number of the English 
army under his command. Sir Gaston was helpless; 
he could not force the men-at-arms to remain with 


AT LIMOGES. 


269 


him, as his own men formed much the smaller por- 
tion of his company, but he would not allow their 
action to influence his. Therefore, with his small 
company, he reached Limoges in due time, and man- 
aged to effect an entrance — sieges being loosely con- 
ducted in those days, as it was almost impossible to 
surround a city so as wholly to invest it. 

The addition of so gallant a company was very 
welcome to the inhabitants of Limoges, who joyfully 
celebrated their coming. The two military com- 
manders, the governor of the citadel and the captain 
of the garrison conferred, and agreed to attempt to 
drive the English away from the walls by a sortie, 
for with the addition of Sir Gaston’s company they 
had a fair-sized army, though not nearly so large as 
that of the English ; but having the gates of the city 
in their rear and supported by the crossbowmen on 
the walls, they could retire in time to save a rout. 

But all this time the Black Prince’s miners were 
at work, and the very morning for which the sortie 
had been planned, a large portion of the town walls 
was thrown down, to the utter confusion of the gar- 
rison and the consternation of the inhabitants. A 
terrible fight followed. Sir Gaston, as usual, was in 
the thickest part of it. No quarter was given or 
asked ; the Black Prince had threatened the complete 
extermination of the inhabitants, did not the city 
capitulate. Therefore, the garrison knew it was vic- 
tory or death. It was death, not only to them, but 


270 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


to the innocent populace who had no voice in the 
direction of affairs, not having advised the former 
surrender to Sir Bertrand, and later having favored a 
capitulation to their former lord. 

The Black Prince, already suffering from his fatal 
illness — gaunt, cadaverous, unrelenting, so weak that 
he could not engage actively in the attack, being 
carried in his litter from point to point — showed no 
mercy to the inhabitants of Limoges. As the troops 
poured into the city, he witnessed with his own eyes 
the execution of his orders that no man, woman, nor 
child should be spared. Nor was his heart to pity 
stirred when women and children fell on their knees 
before him, crying: 

“ Mercy, mercy, sweet sir ! ” 

For a time mercy had died in his heart, and he 
was deaf to the pleadings of the helpless. Froissart, 
whose respect for the successful, admiration for the 
strong and valiant, high regard for the rich and 
noble, outran his sympathy for the lowly, in this 
case had his heart wrung with pity for the fate of 
the poor people of Limoges. He writes : 

I do not know how they could not have had pity 
for the poor people, who were guilty of no treason ; 
but they paid more dearly for it than the great mas- 
ters who had committed the offence. There is no one 
so hard-hearted, who, if he had been in the city of 
Limoges and had been mindful of God, could not 
have wept tenderly at the great misery which was 


AT LIMOGES. 


271 


done there, for more than three thousand persons, 
men, women, and children, were seized and put to 
death that day. God has their souls, for they were 
true martyrs.” 

There were three knights, however, whose desper- 
ate resistance won the favor of the Black Prince, 
who was always an admirer of valor, and one of 
these was Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt, once of his 
court of Bordeaux. When Sir Gaston was finally 
forced to surrender and obliged to take off his visor 
in the presence of the Black Prince, he had expected 
nothing less than death on account of his participa- 
tion in the Gascon revolt. Instead, the Black Prince 
saluted him courteously, and ordered that he be con- 
fined in the citadel and strongly guarded ; so impris- 
onment was all Sir Gaston got for his pains in seek- 
ing to relieve Limoges. 

As Sir Gaston was being conducted to the citadel, 
whom should he meet face to face but Sir Hugh de 
Beverly, whose countenance betrayed the satisfaction 
he felt at witnessing the discomfiture of the Gascon 
knight. Hurling defiance at the Bed Knight, Sir 
Gaston taunted him with his flight from St. Brice, 
accusing him of being afraid to encounter him, and 
of running away to avoid a combat. But before Sir 
Hugh had time to reply. Sir Gaston was hurried on 
by the guards. 

The prisoner had no cause to complain of his treat- 
ment, save that his liberty was not given him on 


272 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


parole, neither was the amount of his ransom fixed. 
Visitors were allowed him, with whom he played 
chess and backgammon and threw dice; but it was 
an irksome life for one brought up to arms and eager 
to emulate the gallant example of the Black Prince 
and the Breton knight. 

He made many inquiries concerning Sir Hugh, 
and learned that he was in high favor at the Bor- 
deaux court, not only on account of the large num- 
ber of men-at-arms he could bring to the prince’s 
service, but also on account of his prowess and valor. 

“’Tis strange what takes a woman’s fancy,” mused 
Sir Gaston more than once when he found himself 
alone. “The lady hath need of no more domains. 
Bocasse is sufficient unto her needs and pride. Here 
am I, as doughty a warrior as Sir Hugh, but not so 
powerful, because I have not so many men to re- 
spond to my beck and call. Par die, the lady hath 
no doubt of the English knight’s love, because he 
hath more than she can give; and even that which 
she hath she may forfeit should not King Charles of 
Navarre be content to allow an English knight to 
become his vassal.” 

Every day Sir Gaston expected a messenger to ar- 
rive from the Black Prince fixing the amount of his 
ransom ; but the days came and went without sign 
from the Lord of Aquitaine. 

The weeks passed drearily enough to the Gascon 
knight, who bewailed the hardness of his fate. 


AT LIMOGES. 


273 


Twice had he been a prisoner within a short time, 
and once had he been laid up with the hurt of his 
wounds received in battle, losing much valuable 
time, for he feared a truce would be declared before 
he had advanced his fortunes. 

One morning, not quite two months after the mas- 
sacre of Limoges, there came news that the eldest 
son of the Black Prince, a boy of six years, heir to 
the English throne, had died at Bordeaux. Sorely 
did the father grieve over the loss of his first born, 
whom he had expected to succeed his illustrious 
grandfather, Edward III.; for the valiant prince 
knew that the conqueror of all men had him at his 
mercy, and would not stay his hand long enough for 
him to ascend the English throne. His doctors ad- 
vised the prince to return home in hopes that in his 
native land, away from the associations in Aquitaine, 
he could fight death a little longer. 

Then Sir Gaston deemed himself forgotten. The 
regaining of his liberty would now depend upon 
himself. Fortunately Kaimond was allowed to visit 
him. Gold would unlock prison doors if he had 
enough of it. Plenty there was of his at Bocasse in 
charge of Messire de Bonciel. Kaimond should jour- 
ney thither and bring him ample for his needs, per- 
chance also a comforting word from the Lady of Bo- 
casse. Ah, no ! Had he not been told that she had 
elected rather to remain at St. Brice, and had she 
denied the story or sent him word. But why had 
18 


274 


THE MAH) OF BOCASSE. 


she attempted the terrible sin of self-destruction? 
A horrible suspicion entered Sir Gaston’s soul. By 
the Holy Sepulchre, he would yet meet Sir Hugh 
face to face, hand to hand, and one of them would 
bite the dust ! 


CHAPTEK XIX. 


A STORMY INTERVIEW. 

When Sir Hugh de Beverly recognized Sir Gas- 
ton d’Ambricicourt, it set him to thinking. Why 
had he attacked St. Brice ? Why had he become 
wroth with Sir Hugh because he declined to answer 
Sir Bertrand’s inquiries concerning Lady Yvette? 
Perhaps in this could he discover the reason of the 
lady’s persistent disdain. Calling to him one of his 
squires, he bade him go learn all he could concern- 
ing this Gascon knight, to make friends with his 
friends if such he had in town, and bring him news 
of what he had been doing these past few years. 

Vivien de Sellac, the squire entrusted with this 
mission, had already met Kaimond at St. Brice, 
where he had been captured with the rest of the 
Bed Knight’s suite and held for ransom, which had 
been paid. Therefore, he repaired to Eaimond’s 
lodgings near the citadel where Sir Gaston was con- 
fined, and there learned that the young gentleman 
had departed that very morning with a small com- 
pany of men-at-arms for the south. 

"What part of the south? ” queried Vivien. 


276 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“Somewhere in the kingdom of Navarre, so one 
of his men informed me, where Sir Gaston captured 
a chateau, which had been taken by an English cap- 
tain who had carried off its lady.” 

Vivien waited to hear no more, but reported at 
once to his lord. 

Sir Hugh had been duly informed of the recap- 
ture of Bocasse, but had not given the matter much 
thought, for he had secured the treasure, had its 
lady a prisoner, and was in need of all his men just 
at that period. When the time came, he would go 
again to Bocasse and seize it; but the time was not 
yet ripe. 

Now it flashed upon his memory that the knight 
who had taken Bocasse was a Gascon, once a vassal 
of the Black Prince; no doubt it was the same 
man. 

“He shall have neither Bocasse nor its lady ! I’ll 
betake myself to Bordeaux and pay the knight’s ran- 
som ; then shall he be my prisoner. St. Brice will 
I again take, also Bocasse and the chatelaine of Bo- 
casse ; and the knight and the lady shall be partners 
in the other’s fate.” 

And thus it was that it came to pass one morning 
when Sir Gaston was in a hopeful frame of mind, for 
the time had come when Eaimond might be expected 
at any moment to return from Bocasse, that the war- 
der opened the door of his apartment and announced : 

“A visitor for Sir Gaston.” 


A STORMY INTERVIEW. 


2rr 


Sir Gaston, thinking it to be Eaimond, sprang up 
with alacrity to greet him ; instead, a stranger stood 
at the door. Bowing courteously, he said : 

“I have come. Sir Knight, to escort you on a jour- 
ney. A thousand pardons that time has not been 
given you for preparation, but my instructions have 
just arrived, and coming from one higher than my- 
self, must be obeyed at once. We are to start in an 
hour’s time.” 

“Whither?” asked Sir Gaston. 

“That I am not permitted to say,” replied the 
stranger knight. 

“ What if I should decline departing ? ” 

“ Then I must go against my feelings and conduct 
you forcibly.” 

“Humph!” muttered Sir Gaston. “A prisoner 
may not determine the manner of his going and 
coming, nor the time. Tiens, I shall be ready. Sir 
Knight.” 

The stranger knight bowed and retired. 

Sir Gaston pondered how he might inform Eai- 
mond of his change of residence. As he himself did 
not know his. destination, he could not leave a mes- 
sage to his squire whither to follow him. What 
was the object of his removal ? Perhaps he was to 
be taken to the Black Prince to Bordeaux. ’Twas 
strange his ransom had not been fixed. Could it be 
he was to be punished as a rebel, that he was to be 
made an example to other dissatisfied vassals ? 


278 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


He was arrayed in travelling garb at the end of 
an hour, but no one came to lead him forth. He 
was impatient to be gone, for he had thought of a 
way to enable Eaimond to follow him. He would 
make a pretext of speaking to some villagers on the 
way, stop at huts on the road and let fall some re- 
marks that would apprise the astute youth that he 
had recently passed that way; for he knew Eaimond 
would try to follow him whithersoever he might be 
taken, obtaining what clew he could in town and 
neighborhood. 

Daylight waned, his meals were sent him as usual, 
but no word came from him who was to conduct 
him he knew not whither. At length, when it was 
quite dark, the summons came; and Sir Gaston was 
taken on a midnight journey on a starless night, 
over a road with so many windings and turnings 
that the knight could not tell whether he were going 
north, south, east, or west. They travelled rapidly, 
changing horses once, but as they were awaiting 
them outside the posthouse Sir Gaston could get 
word with nobody. Before dawn they came up to 
the gates of a fortified town. A blast of the horn 
brought the warder to the tower over the gate. A 
word from the leader of the party, whose face Sir 
Gaston had not seen, but whose voice seemed not al- 
together unfamiliar, brought the warder down, and 
a few moments later they entered the town through 
the smaller gate. 


V 


A STORMY INTERVIEW. 


279 


The party dismounted, and Sir Gaston was con- 
ducted into one of the towers that flanked the gate, 
and up, it seemed to him, an interminable winding 
stone stairway. At length the warder stopped be- 
fore a door; selecting a key from the great bunch he 
carried, he put it in the lock, turned it, and opened 
the door, revealing by the light of the flaring torch 
a gloomy apartment, with a great open fireplace, a 
heap of straw and a wooden bench ; while in the 
centre of the floor was a large round opening. Into 
this room Sir Gaston was thrust without a word, the 
door was shut, the lock turned, and he was left there 
alone and in the dark, afraid to move lest he fall 
through the opening. 

Stooping to the floor, he felt carefully about him, 
and then on all fours crept toward where he thought 
the straw was. Instead, one hand gave way; he 
had reached the hole ! The sudden giving way of 
the floor, as it seemed, so startled him that he con- 
cluded to sit where he was till morning ; for being 
so high up, he felt reasonably sure it was no dark 
dungeon in which he was confined. 

The next hour passed slowly ; then the first faint 
streaks of dawn appeared, and presently he could dis- 
cern the outlines of the chamber. He threw him- 
self on the pile of straw and was soon fast asleep. 
It was long past noon when he awoke. It was a 
moment or two before he took in his situation. He 
sat up on his bed of straw and gazed around him, 


280 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


bewildered. Where was he? The room was com- 
paratively large, but was bare of all comfort or con- 
veniences save the open fireplace, the narrow, slit- 
like openings through the thick walls to admit the 
light, and the circular hole in the floor, the use of 
which was now evident, for a rope and pulley ar- 
rangement conveyed, by means of buckets, food and 
drink to the captive in his eyrie. The memory of 
the events of the past night quickly returned. He 
arose, went toward the buckets that were suspended 
above the hole, and found water in one and bread 
and meat in the other. He detached both buckets, 
set them on the floor, then examined the rope and 
pulley to see if they would bear his weight. He 
soon satisfied himself that they were just stout 
enough for the weight they were intended to lift, 
and no more. 

He took the food out one pail, and poured half of 
the contents of the other bucket into it for drink ; 
the rest of the water he reserved for his ablutions. 
After refreshing himself with a good wash, as well 
as with food and drink, he attempted to look out the 
windows, but they were high above his head. He 
pulled the bench under one of them, thus bringing 
his eyes on a level with the sill. All he could see 
through the dark narrow aperture were the blue skies. 
He threw himself flat on the floor, and drawing him- 
self along till his head projected over the hole, he 
peered below. He could distinguish nothing but 


A STORMY INTERVIEW. 281 

yawning blackness, as if the opening descended to 
the bowels of the earth. 

Thus he was left day after day, hearing nothing, 
seeing no one, the only event of every twenty-four 
hours being the raising and lowering of the buckets. 
He tried to devise some means of communication 
with those who attended him, then desisted lest 
he do himself more harm than good thereby. 

He tried to keep track of the days, but after a 
while became a little confused, so he could not tell 
to the day how long he had been confined in the 
tower, when, to his joy, he heard the key turn in 
the lock and saw the door open to admit a visitor. 
Springing up to greet the newcomer, he advanced a 
step; then his joy suddenly changed to wrath, for 
he beheld the ugly countenance of Sir Hugh de Bev- 
erly. 

The two men stood facing each other like two com- 
batants that seem to be taking measure each of his 
adversary before striking out. Sir Gaston spoke 
first. 

“ Eh hien ! Why do you come here ? ” he asked, 
defiantly. 

“To see Messire d’Ambricicourt, whom I hold my 
prisoner,” answered Sir Hugh, with an evil smile. 

“’Tis a lie! I yielded myself to his royal high- 
ness, the Prince of Aquitaine.” 

“ Who in turn has made you over to me, for I have 
paid your ransom. Am I not generous? ” 


282 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“ For what purpose ? ” demanded the Gascon 
knight. 

“To suit my humor,” replied the Eed Knight. 

“Name the sum you require, and it shall be 
yours,” said the captive, proudly. 

“ You have not gold sufficient to buy your liberty. 
All the treasure of LaTayac would not purchase it.” 

“ You do me honor to rate me so highly,” replied 
Sir Gaston. 

'' Sangdien, Tis my vengeance that comes dear! 
Dost think I’ll bear the loss of Bocasse, of my treas- 
ure at Tayac, the raid upon St. Brice, and have 
naught in return ? ” 

“Such are the fortunes of war.” 

“Aye; but fortune’s wheel ever turns. Listen, I 
took Bocasse ; its chtolaine tried to ransom her cas- 
tle; I took the ransom, the castle, and the lady. 
Thou seek’st to buy thy freedom with my gold ; I 
shall recover my gold by recapturing Bocasse and 
also repossess myself of its lady ; aye, and what is 
more, without striking a blow.” 

“ Explain yourself in regard to the lady ! ” ex- 
claimed Sir Gaston, hotly. 

“ I’ll enter upon explanations only as far as it shall 
please me. And it pleases me to tell you that at 
St. Brice, where the Lady of Bocasse remained some 
time my guest, her apartment was next my own ; a 
secret door connected them. Is Sir Hugh a man to 
neglect such opportunities? Is not the Lady Yvette 


A STORMY INTERVIEW. 


283 


a woman to recognize and admire valor and suc- 
cess? ” 

Sir Gaston, with a single leap, was at the Eed 
Knight’s throat. But Sir Hugh was ready for him, 
and struck at his arm with the flat of his sword. 

“Stand back!” he exclaimed. “ The time has not 
yet come when I desire to kill you. There are some 
things yet in store for you.” 

Sir Gaston’s hands dropped to his side. What 
could he do unarmed against a man heavier than 
himself and armed at all points? 

“ No ; I’ll not die yet ! ” he exclaimed. “ Not till 
I am out of this. Then will I seek you far and near, 
and not rest content till the earth covers you ! ” 

Sir Hugh laughed — a laugh that sent the blood 
coursing through Sir Gaston’s veins so furiously that 
it seemed as though his heart would burst its bony 
casement. 

“ Listen I ” said the Eed Knight. “ Once I in- 
tended making the Lady Yvette my wife, and set 
her high above the ladies of the land ; but I have 
changed my purpose. You and she shall meet again. 
How and when and where, it is I who will decide. 
Let that be a hope unto you ! ” 

But instead of being a promise of hope to bring 
joy to the heart of the lover, the manner of its saying 
sent a deathly chill into his blood ; and now instead 
of racing at furious speed through his veins, it seemed 
to settle in his chest and suffocate him. Was she 


284 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


also in liis power? He thought to have rescued 
her! 

Sir Hugh said no more, but his sneering laugh 
came back to Sir Gaston as the door shut him out 
from his sight. 

This visit did not render Sir Gaston’s captivity 
the more endurable. ’Twas better to be forgotten 
by the Black Prince than to be remembered by the 
Eed Knight. Could it be possible that he had been 
transferred to the custody of Sir Hugh? If so, he 
had everything to fear — nothing to hope. As to 
Lady Yvette, he had left her under the protection of 
Sir Bertrand, and he refused to believe that she had 
ever shown favor to the suit of a man so base as the 
Eed Knight had proved himself to be. Oh, that he 
still lived to boast again of favors he had not re- 
ceived ! 

Many times did Sir Gaston carefully and patiently 
examine every inch of wall and floor of his cell in 
the vain hope of finding some way out 1 He tried 
to squeeze through one of the narrow openings that 
served as windows, to see if he could not reach the 
platform above, and thus discover some means of 
escape, and in his efforts very nearly wedged him- 
self solidly between the blocks of stone. Often was 
he tempted to throw himself headlong through the 
opening in the floor. But should he kill himself, 
who would there be to punish the Eed Knight? 

The days and nights dragged slowly by. One 


A STORMY INTERVIEW. 


285 


day there came no food nor drink to him, nor the 
next day, nor yet the next. Did Sir Hugh intend 
that he should die of starvation, or was he compel- 
ling him to fast that his strength might be reduced 
and his spirit broken ? 


CHAPTER XX. 


THE WHITE KNIGHT. 

There came into the town of Blanc one fair day 
a goodly cavalcade. First rode several squires carry- 
ing the armor of their lord, while two led by the 
bridle rein two fiery chargers most handsomely capari- 
soned. Following, appeared a knight on a white 
horse whose housings were of white and silver, 
while he himself wore an elegant white robe over 
his suit of mail. As one of his squires carried his 
helmet, his face was plainly seen. It was that of a 
young man who must have recently received his 
knighthood, for its curves were youthful and the 
upper lip and chin showed signs neither of mustache 
nor beard. He glanced to the right and left with 
clear open gaze ; and while pride was in his bearing, 
there was neither haughtiness nor assumption. Be- 
hind him rode a small body of men-at-arms, whose 
accoutrements and horses showed them to belong to 
some lord with full purse and free hand. Calling 
to one of his squires, a well formed, handsome youth, 
looking as old as his lord, the knight gave him in- 
structions in a low voice. The squire galloped off 


THE WHITE KNIGHT. 287 

and was soon lost to sight. The others followed 
slowly. 

Presently the squire was seen returning, and rid- 
ing up to the White Knight, he bowed and said : 

"My lord, lodgings are awaiting you and your 
train in the principal inn of the town, which hap- 
pily has no guests, neither will the innkeeper receive 
any other while you are pleased to remain therein.” 

"It is good,” replied the White Knight. "Lead 
on.” 

The munificence of the Wliite Knight was soon 
the talk of the town. He scattered his gold as freely 
as did other people dispense copper. As the rank 
of a knight was estimated by the amount of largess 
distributed, the delighted townspeople concluded he 
must be a baron of high degree and great possessions. 

But question as one would of his attendants, no 
hint could he elicit as to whence came the knight or 
what was his name and title. 

" He has particular business, and it does not suit 
him to be known at present.” 

“ But how may we designate him ? ” 

" By the appellation of the White Knight. It is 
enough until his mission be concluded.” 

There were those in the town who resented this 
reticence, and would have had the knight forced to 
give a proper account of himself, lest he be an envoy 
of the enemy, who would in the end work them in- 
jury. But these were silenced by others, who were 


288 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


in a great majority, and who declared that whoever 
or whatever the White Knight might be, so long as 
he lavished his gold upon the town, he should be 
unmolested, for war had sadly interfered with trade 
and wofully diminished its prosperity. 

By and by it was discovered that any proper man 
or youth who might make application to the White 
Knight was received into his service, was given 
handsome apparel and fine accoutrements, fared 
sumptuously, and received good wages for his hire. 
So the train of the White Knight grew in number 
and strength. 

Now the Red Knight had been absent from Blanc 
for a week or more, and what was his surprise on 
returning to find the White Knight ensconced in the 
best inn and exceeding him in magnificence and dis- 
play. The retainers of the two knights were con- 
stantly meeting, and seldom without a set-to, and 
the townspeople made grievous complaint to the 
governor of street brawls, broken windows, and pil- 
laged shops. But the governor was ill disposed to 
interfere, for the presence of so many armed men in 
Blanc, besides the garrison, was good for the town, 
inasmuch as the Breton knight. Lord Constable of 
France, had renewed hostilities, and no one knew 
when it might suit his purpose to descend upon them. 

It so happened that the two knights themselves 
did not meet. At first the White Knight had made 
himseK free with the townspeople, had chatted with 


THE WHITE KNIGHT. 


289 


the officers, and spent his money lavishly. His 
squires, too, were affable, and were always welcomed 
heartily by the garrison, for they spent money only 
less freely than their lord, and their entertainments 
were the talk of Blanc long after they were known 
no more therein. After the return of Sir Hugh, 
however, he was little seen. 

The Eed Knight was biding his opportunity. He 
did not care to attack the White Knight in the 
town, for he well knew on which side the populace 
would be, and they had it in their power materially 
to interfere with his purpose. So he gave instruc- 
tions to some of his people to keep themselves in- 
formed of the movements of the White Knight and 
his followers, and to report to him immediately, 
night or day, if anything unusual should present it- 
self. 

Another week passed. Then early one morning 
Sir Hugh was awakened by a squire, who brought 
the information that the White Knight was making 
preparations to leave the city that very morning. 
Springing from his bed. Sir Hugh gave orders for his 
men to make ready to follow them. But first was it 
to be ascertained how large a company attended him. 

Now it so happened the White Knight, wishing 
to make a rapid trip, left most of his men behind, 
and attended by several of his squires, among whom 
was not his favorite attendant, for him he left in 
charge of the rest of his company, departed from the 
19 


290 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


city as soon as its gates were opened, taking a north- 
erly direction. The day was bright and cold, as it. 
was the winter season, but the roads being far from 
good, at times their progress was very slow. 

They had been travelling about three hours when 
they approached a crossroads. The country was 
open, and the White Knight saw a party of horse- 
men much more numerous than his own galloping 
toward the road they were taking. His eyes were 
keen, and the White Knight recognized the banner 
of the leader, who was no other than Sir Hugh. At 
once he knew the object of the Eed Knight was to 
intercept him, for the road he was travelling also led 
to the town he had just left, but was some miles 
longer. From the foam-covered sides of the animals, 
he could see they had been kept at top speed. His 
horses and those of his men were comparatively fresh 
If they could reach the intersection of the roads first, 
he was sure he and his men could outride Sir Hugh 
and his party. The White Knight spoke to his men, 
then to his horse, and the company swept down the 
road like a whirlwind. It was a race for life. When 
the Eed Knight perceived the intention of the com- 
pany he was pursuing to evade him, he, too, shouted 
lustily to his men, dug the spurs deeper into the 
quivering flanks of his horse, and tried to head them 
off. Closer and closer they approached; to his dis- 
may the White Knight saw he had underrated the 
staying qualities of the horses of his adversary, for 


V 


THE WHITE KNIGHT. 


291 


adversary he knew him to be. On swept both par- 
ties. A misstep of a single steed might precipitate 
a dozen men and horses in a heap. But the beasts 
were surefooted and seemed to partake of the excite- 
ment and spirit of their riders. Too late the White 
Knight saw there would be a meeting, which was 
impossible to avoid. He could only trust to fortune. 
Harder and harder he pressed his horse, his men 
being close about him. Faster came Sir Hugh at 
the head of his company. On they all rode, till 
there was a terrific shock of horse against horse just 
at the intersection. Back on their haunches were 
flung the horses of Sir Hugh’s company, almost 
throwing the horses of the White Knight and his 
men. Then recovering themselves, there was a furi- 
ous charge from Sir Hugh’s side, but the White 
Knight and his men had not stopped to receive it, as 
they were speeding down the road at a break -neck gal- 
lop. In a moment Sir Hugh and his party followed, 
and the race was renewed. Mile after mile galloped 
pursuer and pursued, but the pursued gradually in- 
creased the distance between them, until at length 
Sir Hugh saw the futility of keeping up the pursuit. 

However, if he could not avenge himself on the 
master, he might on his men; so returning to the 
town, which he reached at nightfall, he determined 
in the morning to attack and capture that part of the 
White Knight’s company which he had left behind. 

Accordingly, the following morning the inn where 


292 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


the company was lodged and its range of outbuild- 
ings were surrounded by a company of armed men, 
who called upon those within to surrender. 

“If you want us, come and get us,” shouted one 
of the squires. 

“ Aye, that we will ! ” was the answer. 

But doors were rapidly barricaded, great oaken 
chests and tables were stacked behind them, other 
barricades arose quickly at the head of the stairs 
leading to the second story, archers were placed at 
the narrow windows, and^ so true was their aim that 
the enthusiasm of the on -lookers as well as the at- 
tackers was soon considerably diminished. 

In vain the innkepeer protested against this use^ 
or rather abuse, of his property; he was answered 
by the squire who was in command during his lord’s 
absence, who said that for every denier’s damage 
two should be given. Thereupon the good man was 
as zealous as the rest, offering up all his property, 
for great as was the destruction double would be the 
indemnity. 

As the inn was in a busy section of the town, the 
attack proved quite a diversion for the townspeople, 
though the more timid of the citizens sent a deputa- 
tion to the governor begging him to despatch the 
garrison to quell the disturbance. But the governor 
refused to interfere. All day the attack continued 
with considerable loss of life without from the darts 
shot from within. 


THE WHITE KNIGHT. 


293 


Then Sir Hugh sent to the governor for a batter- 
ing ram, but again he refused to interfere. It was 
his duty to keep the foe from entering the city ; let 
the city magistrates preserve peace within its walls. 

The next day the attack was renewed. Sir Hugh 
had obtained some attacking apparatus which he 
directed against both walls and doors. The inn was 
not intended to repel attacks of such a nature, and 
the masonry soon began to give. With shouts of 
exultation the attackers pressed forward with in- 
creased energy. Doors were beaten down and an 
entrance forced. Then came a desperate hand-to- 
hand fight in the passages, the forcing of more bar- 
riers, the crashing of doors, smashing of heavy oaken 
furniture, clashing of steel, the shouting and shriek- 
ing of men. So engrossed were they that they did 
not notice the clanging of the alarm bell, nor the 
commotion in the streets without, that was even 
greater than the noise and confusion within. 


CHAPTEK XXI. 


LIMOGES AVENGED. 

As soon as Sir Bertrand du Guesclin was invested 
with full powers of the highest military office in 
France, he began systematic preparations for prose- 
cuting with vigor the war against the English. He 
ordered new engines of war, as well as a large supply 
of arms of every description, thus gladdening the 
hearts of the manufacturers ; he put Paris in a better 
state of defence, issued new regulations to the army, 
and established a discipline and effected an organi- 
zation that had before been lacking. More than 
that, he had succeeded in eliciting from the king and 
his ministers a final promise that the troops should 
receive regular pay. 

His preparations being under way, he assumed the 
offensive, and instead of avoiding regular engage- 
ments, as had been the policy of the French since 
the memorable defeat at Poitiers, he attacked the 
English with a vigor and a suddenness for which 
they were entirely unprepared. It was winter time, 
too, and the English, knowing the disinclination of 
the French nobles to endure the discomforts of cam- 


LIMOGES AVENGED. 


295 


paigning in the cold and rainy season, were astounded 
and almost demoralized by the energetic measures 
of the new constable. 

Accompanied by three thousand men-at-arms, 
nearly all of whom were of noble rank. Sir Bertrand 
marched to Pontorson, a frontier town between Nor- 
mandy and Brittany, of which he had been appointed 
governor in recognition of his services in taking 
Melun, and there established his headquarters. His 
first care was to increase his army. This was com- 
paratively easy ; not only did his brilliant reputation 
for success attract soldiers of fortune, but he outbid 
the Black Prince in the matter of pay, in spite of 
the fact that the money granted him by the king fell 
far short of his requirements. On being remonstrated 
with by so redoubtable a baron as Oliver de Clisson 
for entering upon obligations of which he could not 
acquit himself. Sir Bertrand replied : 

“If these people do not wage war against the 
king’s enemies, they will assuredly make it upon 
his subjects, and they will pillage our poor peasants. 
This I cannot allow ; and if the king will not pay 
them with his money, I will do so with my own.” 

And he did; though to raise it he disposed of 
much of his personal property, including his wife’s 
jewels and a magnificent service of gold plate given 
her by King Henry of Castile in recognition of her 
husband’s services. But the Lady Typhaine was as 
loyal, as generous, as large-hearted as her lord, and 


296 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


felt it no sacrifice thus to serve France. The money 
so raised Sir Bertrand distributed among his cap- 
tains to help pay their men, and in a short time be- 
tween 12,000 and 15,000 men marched under the 
blazon of the “Eagle of Brittany.” 

Then began a series of forced marches and sud- 
den attacks upon the English, who were unprepared 
for this aggressive warfare of the French. In six 
weeks Sir Bertrand carried positions and fortresses 
held by them as far as the Loire, compelling the 
English to retire before his progress in a manner that 
struck terror to their hearts. 

Sir Bertrand was continuing his successful cam- 
paign southward when there came a messenger to 
him sa)dng that a certain strongly fortified town in 
possession of the English could be easily taken on 
account of friends within, and this messenger was no 
other than the White Knight who had succeeded in 
concealing his identity from the people of that town 
on account of his lavish bestowal of gold, and who 
had barely escaped capture by Sir Hugh. 

The great constable thereupon set out himself 
with a comparatively small force of men, the other 
divisions of his army being employed elsewhere, to 
take advantage of this bit of good fortune. As Sir 
Bertrand seldom encumbered himself with siege 
trains, taking towns by assault and thus making the 
enemy feed his men, the very next morning after 
the White Knight’s encounter with Sir Hugh found 


LIMOGES AVENGED. 


297 


the constable accompanying him back to Blanc. He 
encamped that same night within a short distance 
of its gates, so as to be ready for the assault soon 
after daybreak. 

It was for that reason that the alarm bell was 
rung so vigorously, calling the people to arms, while 
Sir Hugh’s men were renewing their attack upon the 
inn. But the combatants paid no heed at first, they 
were too much engrossed with their own affairs. 
However, as the clangor of the bell continued, and 
the people flocked to the ramparts, and the town 
guards turned out, it began to be borne upon the 
consciousness of the combatants that something of 
a serious nature was going on without, especially as 
messengers were constantly arriving with urgent calls 
from the governor of the fortifications to Sir Hugh 
to come to his help. At length the Bed Knight 
sounded the recall, and he and his men made their 
way to the walls, where they found an armed force 
regularly attacking the barriers. 

The repulse was energetic. The archers cleared 
the walls and shot fast and true. Fire balls were 
brought into use, stones were hurled downward, the 
balisters hastily put in operation. Sir Hugh, recog- 
nizing the White Knight among the enemy, proposed 
a sortie, for the temerity of the stranger knight in 
entering the enemy’s town and using the knowledge 
thus gained to its hurt had greatly exasperated him. 

The attack was a furious one. Sir Bertrand, as 


298 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


usual, was in the midst of the hottest action, and al- 
ways near him was seen the banner of the White 
Knight. Having no scaling ladders, the French 
stuck their daggers and swords into the walls and 
mounted step by step thus aided under a shower of 
boiling oil and a hail of stones and clubs. Several 

O 

times was the Breton knight hurled back into the 
moat, but every time he returned to the charge ; but 
now the White Knight was no longer to be seen. 
Pikes and halberds were brought to bear against the 
ramparts, but just as they commenced making an 
impression on one comer of the wall, it seemed to 
those within the town that the French were seized 
by a panic, for they suddenly left the walls and be- 
gan rapidly retreating. 

“ A rescue, a rescue ! ” yelled some one. 

“ Friends have arrived ! ” exclaimed another. 

“The French are fleeing! ” 

“ A sortie ! A sortie ! ” shouted Sir Hugh. 

This proposition met with general favor, the gates 
were thrown open, and a large number of men-at- 
arms rushed forth in pursuit of the apparently flee- 
ing French. Then to their surprise, the French 
turned suddenly as if to make a detour of the walls. 
The English followed, to find that a gate on the side 
of the town had been opened to the enemy, and 
through which they were entering, the last ones 
shutting the great iron bound oaken door in their 
very faces. Back to the principal gate ran Sir Hugh 


LIMOGES AVENGED. 


299 


and his company, shouting as they went to warn the 
garrison of what had taken place. However, a sin- 
gular thing had happened. The gate was still open, 
but it was the English who were pouring forth ; so 
that in a very short time it was the English who 
were without the walls and the French who were 
within. 

How this manoeuvre had been effected the En- 
glish could only conjecture. 

In the mean time heavy fighting had been going 
on within the city, and at Sir Bertrand’s side was 
a tall figure that still lacked the breadth of matur- 
ity, but its possessor was so dauntless, so agile, so 
dexterous, that he did the work as it seemed of 
two knights, and so effectually did he apply his bat- 
tle-axe that, in spite of the confusion and necessary 
concentration of attention, the constable observed 
his efforts with high favor. From his accoutrements 
he was seen to be only a squire and not a knight, 
for by the latter part of the fourteenth century, 
though few of the rights and privileges of a knight 
belonged to a squire, he was permitted to carry a 
sword and his arms were almost the same, save in 
the matter of splendor; the apparel, armor, and ac- 
coutrements of a knight being of the richest quality, 
while those of a squire were much plainer. 

When the city was finally in the possession of the 
French, Sir Hugh having been overpowered and 
obliged to surrender himself a prisoner again to Sir 


300 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


Bertrand, the constable asked for the squire who had 
performed such valiant service. 

When the youth stood before him, Sir Bertrand 
asked : 

"Who art thou, and what is thy estate? ” 

The youth responded : 

" I am Eaimond, son of Sieur de Cr^ze, and squire 
of Sir Gaston d’Ambricicourt, who is now a pris- 
oner.” 

"In faith, such valor as thine deserves knight- 
hood, and thou shalt not leave the spot till it be 
conferred upon thee. Kneel ! ” 

Eaimond dropped upon his knee. Sir Bertrand 
tapped him upon the shoulder with the flat part of 
his sword, and bade him arise a full-fledged knight. 
Thus Eaimond by his gallantry won the honor of 
receiving the accolade from the greatest warrior of 
his time, and he had well earned it. 

Eaimond had returned from Bocasse in due season 
and had joined the train of the White Knight, for 
he feared to travel with the large amount of gold in 
his possession attended by a small company. He 
had been greatly distressed on arriving at Limoges 
to learn that Sir Gaston had been removed. At flrst 
he could hear nothing of his destination, and he 
feared he had been taken to Bordeaux. He made 
inquiries on all sides, and after a while learned that 
the Eed Knight had also departed. What would be 
more likely than the two should be together? Sir 


LIMOGES AVENGED. 


301 


Hugh had old scores to wipe out. In default of any 
other clew, he would follow Sir Hugh. To find the 
whereabouts of the Eed Knight required no great 
detective skill, for he was a well-known character 
and was always attended by a large company whether 
at home or abroad. He traced him to the town of 
Blanc, the White Knight was also travelling north- 
ward, and they kept in company. 

They found Blanc tolerably well garrisoned and 
strongly fortified ; then it entered the mind of the 
White Knight to secure it for France. Therefore he 
and Raimond established themselves therein, at- 
tracting adherents to their standard, for the WTiite 
Knight was also well supplied with gold. While 
the latter kept himself somewhat more secluded, Eai- 
mond made himself well acquainted with the town, 
its exits, the guards, and some of the townspeople. 
He was searching for his lord, but the idea of help- 
ing the French take the town commended itself to 
him; otherwise he did not see how prison doors 
could be unlocked. All his efforts to find if Sir 
Gaston were confined within the city were fruitless, 
for being brought by night, no one had seen his face, 
and his name had not been divulged. Only one or 
two of the warders even knew a prisoner was con- 
fined in the high tower in the wall, and they knew 
only because they were ordered daily to send up 
food and drink. 

Evidently the only way to discover if the knight 


302 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


were within the city was to enable the French to 
gain possession, and then after receiving the keys 
of the town, to make a thorough search. Eaimond 
knew the Breton knight was a good friend of Sir 
Gaston’s, and when the White Knight proposed that 
he should go northward in quest of Sir Bertrand and 
bring him back, Eaimond gladly undertook to re- 
main behind with a number of men, and while Sir 
Bertrand was making an attack at the front, to over- 
power the guards at a gate that was poorly defended 
because not near the point of attack, and open it, 
sending some one to inform the White Knight, who 
could lead the attacking force thither. As the inn 
was near the walls, it was agreed to open the gate 
close by if possible. Fortune favored them in mak- 
ing Sir Hugh attack the inn, for it drew attention 
from the outside. As soon as Sir Hugh ceased his 
attack and withdrew to the scene of conflict, Eaimond 
and his men sallied forth ready armed as if to join 
the garrison. Instead, tliey had turned suddenly off, 
reached the side gate, overpowered the small guard 
stationed there, sent to the White Knight, who was 
on the lookout, and who then led part of the force 
around under the walls, while Sir Bertrand made a 
feint of retreating with the remainder so as to lure 
the garrison to attempt a sortie. The stratagem was 
successful. Sir Hugh had jumped at the bait, the 
governor of the fortifications furnishing him with 
additional men. What was their surprise to see the 


LIMOGES AVENGED. 


303 


army suddenly face about and make a stand. At 
the same time a great commotion was heard within 
the town, and it was found a large part of the 
enemy’s force had entered it. Then Sir Hugh dis- 
covered himself hemmed in back and front, and was 
soon taken prisoner. So the result was that the 
French before night were in possession of another 
town, and Sir Bertrand and his men were so much 
the richer in prospect by the addition of many a 
pretty ransom, while Kaimond received his knight- 
hood. The Wliite Knight alone seemed not to profit 
by the enterprise. He declared he wanted neither 
ransom nor honors, he was acting entirely in the ser- 
vice of France. 

And so the French possessed themselves of the 
old town of Blanc, and levied tribute upon the 
wealth of the merchants, for it was Sir Bertrand’s 
desire that war should not be waged against women, 
children, or the poor. As the fight had been a 
brisk one, and many were wounded, and their ran- 
soms to be fixed. Sir Bertrand himself remained 
several days in the town before proceeding north- 
ward again. This time Eaimond employed in try- 
ing to gain information regarding the Gascon knight, 
whom he hoped to be somewhere within the walls. 


CHAPTEK XXII. 

THE ENCOUNTER. 

Sir Gaston had believed his fate sealed, and that 
he 'was to die alone in his eyrie prison, when day after 
day passed without bringing a sign from below. He 
could see nothing save the sky, and could hear still 
less, for the chamber was high and the walls thick. 
It had so happened that they who knew of his con- 
finement in the tower had been killed or sorely 
wounded, and there was no one to inform the con- 
querors of his position or to attend to his needs. 

He grew faint and weak for want of food and 
drink, in time his mind wandered, and he lost sense 
of time and place. He lived again through the 
happy days at Bocasse, and saw and heard the be- 
loved object of his desires. Then one day he opened 
his eyes to see bending over him the fair, sweet face 
of Lady Yvette, as it seemed to him, and to hear her 
soft voice speak pitifully of him ; and Kaimond also 
was there; and he was content, for everything 
seemed as he would have it. 

Again he woke and found himself in a strange 
room with strange faces about him, and his hand 
was taken by one, and a drink was placed to his lips 


THE ENCOUNTER. 


305 


by another, and he was told to shut his eyes and 
sleep. And he must have done so, for when he 
opened them again Eaimond was sitting beside him. 
But when he tried to ask him questions the youth 
told him he must not talk. And thus the days 
passed until he felt his old vigor return, and then 
without asking leave of any one, when left alone 
once, he arose and dressed himself, and descended to 
the eating room below and demanded hearty food. 
After eating he had asked for Eaimond. Some one 
offered to send for him, but Sir Gaston would not 
permit; instead, he bade them conduct him to the 
youth at once. His attendant obeyed, and took him 
to the house of the commander of the fortifications 
where Sir Bertrand lodged, and with him Sir Eai- 
mond and the White Knight. When Sir Gaston 
was announced, both Sir Bertrand and Sir Eaimond 
quickly advanced to greet him, but the White Knight 
quietly left the room without being observed by the 
visitor. 

Then in answer to Sir Gaston’s inquiries Eaimond 
told how he had returned from Bocasse with the 
money, but could not find Sir Gaston; how, think- 
ing Sir Hugh might be responsible for his disappear- 
ance, he had followed him; how the White Knight 
had proposed to take the city by surprise and strat- 
egy, and had journeyed northward in quest of Sir 
Bertrand, and how successfully the project had been 
carried out. But still no clew could they get of Sir 
20 


306 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


Gaston, until by chance Sir Kaimond had heard a 
wounded soldier rave in his delirium about a pris- 
oner to whom he must convey food and drink. He 
had tried to obtain from the sick man the place 
where the prisoner was confined, but could not till 
the man recovered his reason. This all took some 
days, and when at length Sir Bertrand received the 
key and opened the prison door, it was to find the 
knight insensible, apparently dead from lack of 
food. 

So then Sir Gaston knew that all his pleasant fan- 
cies were but the fantasies of delirium, and he made 
no mention to any one of what he had thought to 
have seen nor of her who he thought had come to 
him. 

The day arrived when Sir Bertrand said he would 
depart, for he was needed elsewhere. Sir Gaston 
had expected to accompany him, but there came a 
sudden summons for the lord constable to proceed to 
Paris as quickly as possible, but first to disband his 
army ; and what was still worse, the king had omitted 
sending the money to pay the troops. 

Bitter were the complaints of the constable against 
the courtiers about the king, who had advised him 
so wrongly. Said he : 

“ If the king would have paid my army, all Guienne 
would have been conquered ; and here I am obliged 
to send away my poor soldiers in the depth of win- 
ter without a denier ! ” 


THE ENCOUNTER. 


307 


However, the constable succeeded in obtaining the 
money to pay off the soldiers, but there were no new 
conquests that winter; while if Sir Bertrand had 
been permitted to carry on his operations he might 
have materially shortened the Hundred Years’ War. 

It was, therefore, out of the question to journey 
with the constable, so when Sir Eaimond begged Sir 
Gaston to accompany him southward and to travel 
in the train of the White Knight, as Sir Gaston then 
had no suite, the Gascon knight, seeing nothing else 
opening at present, agreed. As Sir Bertrand pro- 
ceeded northward, the White Knight and his suite, 
including Sir Gaston and Sir Eaimond^ set out south- 
ward. 

Now the Eed Knight had been given his liberty 
by Sir Bertrand on receiving his parole, for he be- 
lieved him more secure thus than behind iron bars 
in a place where he had many friends, till he could 
raise the money for his ransom. That took no more 
time than to go to his nearest fortress castle and re- 
turn, so before the departure of the Breton Knight, 
the ransom of Sir Hugh was safely delivered, and he 
was again a free man. 

Now Sir Hugh decided to return to St. Brice after 
collecting a large company to retake his castle, for 
he did not know that all its fortifications had been 
razed to the ground. So it happened that he set out 
soon after the departure of the White Knight. As 
the company of the latter was small, he having paid 


308 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


off and dismissed his mercenaries, the evil thought 
came into the mind of Sir Hugh to be avenged on 
the White Knight and to recapture the Gascon knight 
at the same time. So he sent couriers here and there 
to collect mercenaries, and when he had collected a 
number sufficiently large, he set out full speed to 
overtake the White Knight and his company. 

It was a day or two, however, before they reported 
that they whom they sought were but a little in ad- 
vance. By taking a detour it would be easy to head 
them off, or to lie in ambush till they should pass 
by. Sir Hugh decided upon the latter course. The 
Wliite Knight and his companions were not far from 
Bocasse; that night would end their journey for the 
present. Eaimond had said that the White Knight 
had also promised to tarry a while at the chateau of 
Lady Yvette. Had Sir Gaston been less occupied 
with his own thoughts, less intent upon devising 
some means to avenge himself upon Sir Hugh, which 
divided his attention with the desire of once more 
meeting the Lady of Bocasse, which he was afraid 
he might not do, for Eaimond said the lady was not 
in the castle when he departed therefrom, he might 
have felt some curiosity regarding the White Knight, 
who evinced a great preference for his own society, 
riding at the head of his company and generally 
alone, having his meals by himself, and sleeping in 
his tent without attendants. But knights were 
a-plenty, and if this pretended one had a desire for 


THE ENCOUNTER. 


309 


seclusion, Sir Gaston had not the slightest objection 
to the indulgence of his humor. 

It was not yet noon. The company was proceed- 
ing at a good pace, when in a narrow ravine there 
suddenly sprang out from thick woods lining either 
side of the road a party of armed men. Several of 
the White Knight’s squires were in advance and 
were soon overpowered. As the White Knight rode 
quickly to the aid of his squires, he was met by the 
most powerful knight of the attacking party, who 
devoted his whole attention to him. In a moment 
the White Knight divined that it was Sir Hugh de 
Beverly, and that it meant a duel to the death. Sir 
Hugh was on foot, the White Knight was mounted, 
the advantage being thus far with the latter, who 
tried to run Sir Hugh down and to crush him under 
his horse. In spite of his heavy armor. Sir Hugh 
managed to evade being thrown, while his object was 
to unseat the White Knight. They were at close 
quarters, men were fighting hard behind them, but 
the way was clear in front. The White Knight put 
spurs to his horse, which sprang forward and would 
have soon carried its rider out of danger had not Sir 
Hugh raised his battle-axe and swung it with such 
force against the animal as to make it stagger and 
stop. He followed the blow quickly with another, 
this time on the forehead. So heavy was the blow 
that the axe crashed through the mail and the poor 
horse fell. In an instant the White Knight was out 


310 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


of the saddle and on his feet, but the Eed Knight was 
too quick for him ; raising his battle-axe again, he 
swung it around his head and directed it full against 
the breast of the White Knight. It came with crush- 
ing force, but was arrested by another battle-axe that 
had been also raised, and the two met in mid air. 
As the two axes were interlocked for a moment, their 
two holders stood glaring at each other from behind 
closed visors, and Sir Hugh found himself confronted 
by another opponent, one nearer his own size. 

Eecognizing the device of Sir Gaston d’Ambrici- 
court on his opponent’s shield. Sir Hugh knew that 
the combat meant death to one of them. He had no 
doubt as to which one, for Sir Gaston had but re- 
cently arisen from a sick bed, while he was in his 
full health and strength. But Sir Gaston’s arm was 
strengthened by the passions of hate and revenge ; 
not only that, for Sir Hugh was equally inspired by 
these evil passions, but Sir Gaston felt himself the 
avenger of her who was above all other women to 
him. He took no heed of himself, he was conscious 
only of a mighty destroying force, that opportunity 
made the more deadly. 

The two men, after glaring at each other for a mo- 
ment, sprang backward; then gathering fresh impe- 
tus, each flung himself on the other with such terrific 
force that both were almost thrown. The rest 
stopped fighting; all seemed to realize that the issue 
depended upon the conflict between these two. 


THE ENCOUNTER. 


311 


Again and again the two knights tried to strike 
each other with their battle-axes, but every time 
were they caught in mid-air. Then suddenly, with 
demoniacal fury, all rules of combat seemingly for- 
gotten, Sir Hugh sprang backward, and with the 
quickness of light flashed his battle-axe around his 
head twice, then hurled it with the impetus thus 
gained at the Gascon knight. But he had seen its 
coming, and dodging the weapon, sprang forward, 
and with a swift blow clave the breastplate of Sir 
Hugh. In spite of the fierceness of the attack Sir 
Hugh did not fall ; drawing his sword, he made a 
lunge at Sir Gaston, and with an upward dexterous 
turn succeeded in unhelmeting him. Just then a 
loud cry came from some one among the spectators, 
but all were too much occupied with watching the 
combat to notice from which one. Sir Gaston was 
at a great disadvantage, for his head was exposed to 
the foe. This he did not seem to take into account, 
but rushed upon Sir Hugh, who lunged again at him, 
this time with his sword ; Sir Gaston made a feint, 
and parried Sir Hugh, then suddenly threw himself 
against him so violently as to take him off his feet. 
Both men went down, but Sir Gaston was on top. 
Then men from both sides advanced and tried to 
separate the combatants, but they were like raging 
wild beasts, seeing nothing save each other. Sir 
Hugh succeeded in freeing his right arm, and seiz- 
ing his dagger plunged it into Sir Gaston’s throat; 


312 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


the latter struck his arm aside, not soon enough, 
however, to save himself, and then thrust his own 
dagger under Sir Hugh’s helmet and severed the 
jugular vein. Both men gasped, the blood spurted 
from the throat of each. Quick hands attended 
them, but the Lady Yvette was avenged, for Sir 
Hugh never breathed again. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


AT BOCASSE ONCE MOEE. 

Sir Gaston was not quite dead, though he had a 
gaping wound in his throat. The flow of blood was 
staunched, the White Knight performing that ser- 
vice, while some one rode to the nearest town for a 
litter. Thus was the Gascon knight conveyed to 
Bocasse, and again was he brought back to health by 
Nurse Alinore, who had survived the vicissitudes of 
the house of Bocasse. 

The anxiety she had suffered while her nursling 
was a prisoner of Sir Hugh de Beverly had whitened 
her hair and bowed her form. After the Lady 
Yvette’s abduction. Nurse Alinore had sought refuge 
in a convent, as the Red Knight’s attendants did 
not attempt to retain any of the serviteurs who had 
accompanied their lady from the chateau on permis- 
sion of its captor. She had remained in the convent 
till word was brought her of the recapture of Bocasse 
by the Gascon knight, then she had hastened back 
to the castle, expecting to find there her nursling, so 
great was her faith in the prowess of Sir Gaston 
d’Ambricicourt. Sadly was she disappointed when 


314 : 


THE MAH) OF BOCASSE. 


she found Sir Gaston knew no more concerning the 
fate of Lady Yvette than she did. Still, it was some 
consolation to know that measures were being taken 
to discover the place of her captivity and to effect 
her rescue. 

Many were the confidences given her by Sir Gas- 
ton while he was awaiting news from Sir Eaimond 
or the return of Messire de Bonciel. Some comfort 
did he receive in return, for Nurse Alin ore felt she 
could die in peace did she know that she would leave 
her darling under the protection of so gallant and 
valiant a gentleman as the Gascon knight. 

“But if she does not hate me, why should she 
flout me ? ” asked the knight in some perplexity. 

“Maids* ways are not the ways of men,” was the 
rather vague reply. “The Lady Yvette would be 
wooed for herself and not on account of her do- 
mains.” 

“ A pest on the domains ! Would that the earth 
were to open and swallow them ! ” 

“Or that they be given to the Bed Knight? ” 

“ Nom du diable, no ! ” shouted Sir Gaston. “ Not 
one rood of land, not one stone of the castle, not one 
head of cattle shall he take ! ” 

“But he has more than all, he has our lady,” 
sighed Nurse Alinore. 

Then did Sir Gaston spring to his feet and vow he 
would go in quest of her at dawn on the morrow. 
He would have gone off to give his orders at once 


AT BOCASSE ONCE MORE. 315 

had not Nurse Alinore pleaded with him to wait yet 
a little. 

“ What would become of Bocasse if none remain 
to protect it? ” she asked. 

“ A plague take Bocasse ! ’Tis the lady I want. 
But one more day will I wait. 

Up to the highest watch tower he strode and 
vainly scanned the roads, hoping to catch sight of a 
messenger at the very least. A watch was kept 
night and day, with instructions to report to Sir Gas- 
ton the first moment any one appeared, so that no 
time would be lost in starting. 

At length, one day, came Messire de Bonciel ; his 
arrival was immediately followed by Sir Gaston’s de- 
parture. Then ensued a time of sickening suspense 
to the good old woman. No tidings came to her of 
knight, maid, or squire. The hair grew whiter, the 
figure more bowed, the face more seamed as the weeks 
went by. Then came the joyful day when Lady 
Yvette returned, pale and wan, it is true, but happy 
to be once more in her old home and again her own 
mistress. Not a word did she tell of Sir Hugh s 
treatment or threats. Yet Nurse Alinore noticed a 
great change in her darling. There were curves 
about the beautiful mouth that had not been there 
before her abduction, and which told of suffering. 
The brilliancy of the fine eyes was dimmed, while the 
lady was subject to times of depression for which 
she would give no reason. What caused the change 


316 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


the good nurse could only conjecture. Good nurs- 
ing, gentle care, and her native air soon brought 
back the roundness to the limbs and color to cheeks 
and lips. The fire returned to the eyes, and the 
dauntless spirit was still unbroken. 

Nurse Alinore was a happy woman when her 
brave knight was once more brought within the 
walls of Bocasse. Perhaps now would be explained 
the cause of her nursling’s sadness. 

If Nurse Alinore was delighted to receive again 
Sir Gaston, he was still more delighted to be back 
in his old chamber, and to be the object of the gen- 
tle ministrations of his attentive nurse. More bliss- 
ful yet, however, was the day when the lady of the 
castle was permitted to visit him, and he was al- 
lowed to kiss the hand for which he had risked so 
much. 

Tender, gentle, gay, was now the young chatelaine. 
But press her as he would, no word could he get 
from her regarding her stay at St. Brice. Always 
she met his questions with another, or with a jest, 
or with a plea not to be reminded of that hateful 
time. She sang to him, talked to him, played chess 
with him, and made the days pass for him like an 
unbroken dream of happiness. His heart again beat 
high with hope. Surely must she now regard him 
with favor, else her manner would not be so sweet 
and gentle toward him. 

Once he asked after the White Knight. If he 


AT BOCASSE ONCE MORE. 


31Y 


had been injured, and if he, too, were an inmate of 
Chateau Bocasse. 

Lady Yvette replied that the White Knight had 
been unharmed only by reason of Sir Gaston’s timely 
aid, that he had not remained at Bocasse, but would 
return before Sir Gaston’s departure therefrom to 
make acknowledgment of his obligations for his 
rescue. 

“He owes me nothing,” said Sir Gaston. “I 
fought Sir Hugh on my own account. Not only had 
he served me ill, for that could I have made him 
pay with less than his life ; but he had sorely in- 
jured one whom I hold dearer than myself. It was 
for that reason I was obliged to kill him.” 

“Then, when thou attacked him, hadst thou no 
thought of the White Knight’s peril? ” asked Lady 
Yvette. 

“None, madame. The White Knight is nothing 
to me.” 

“Nothing, my lord?” 

“Nothing, madame.” 

“ Art quite sure ? ” 

“Quite sure, madame.” 

Then the Lady Yvette spoke no more, but went 
away, and Sir Gaston did not see her again that day. 

The time came when Nurse Alinore pronounced 
Sir Gaston well enough to leave his chamber. He 
was to descend that very morning to the banqueting 
room for the first time since he had again been so 


318 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


nigh unto death. There came a page to tell him 
that the White Knight had arrived and begged the 
honor of seeing Sir Gaston. He was awaiting him 
in the hall below. 

Accordingly, a little later, Sir Gaston was con- 
ducted to the great apartment where he had had his 
first interview with Lady Yvette, though not his first 
meeting. The White Knight was not visible. Sir 
Kaimond was there, and came forward to meet him. 
Taking him by the hand he led him to the dais 
where Lady Yvette was awaiting him. As he ap- 
proached, the lady said: 

The White Knight would have speech with you, 
my lord.” 

Sir Gaston, finding himself face to face with Lady 
Yvette, bowed, and taking the hand extended toward 
him, raised it to his lips. As he relinquished it, he 
answered : 

" Gladly would I see him, madame, but more glad 
am I to kiss this hand.” 

Straightening up to his great height, he glanced 
about him in quest of the Wliite Knight. 

“The White Knight would thank you for your 
valiant service, my lord,” said Lady Yvette. 

“ Tell him, madame, that I require no thanks. I 
but settled my own score with Sir Hugh de Beverly.” 

“Give your own messages, my lord.” 

“ But where may the White Knight be, madame ? ” 

“He stands before you, my lord,” was the reply. 


AT BOCASSE ONCE MORE. 


319 


Sir Gaston started. Why had he not suspected 
it? Many things flashed upon his memory that 
once he had not quite understood, but which now 
seemed quite plain, and he wondered he had not dis- 
covered that fact long ago. 

But Lady Yvette was speaking: 

“ Keceive, Sir Knight, my most heartfelt thanks. 
Had it not been for thy strong arm, I should have 
been lying under ground instead of Sir Hugh. No 
words of mine can express my gratitude. My thanks 
are little; thou shouldst have greater guerdon.” 

Lady Yvette had carefully prepared this speech, 
thinking to give the knight opportunity again to 
prefer his request for the hand of the Maid of Bo- 
casse. Instead he remained silent. 

“ That you had no thought to save the life of the 
White Knight does not lessen the weight of obliga- 
tion,” she added as he did not answer. 

Then Sir Gaston made reply, as if forcing him- 
self to speak: 

“ Had I known it was the life of madame that was 
in jeopardy, then would my arm have been quicker 
even if not surer.” 

All the while he was thinking that Lady Yvette’s 
graciousness had been prompted by gratitude, not 
love, and his heart grew so heavy that it oppressed 
his organs of speech. However, he tried to rally 
from his dejection, and at dinner, which soon fol- 
lowed, he endeavored to entertain his fair hostess 


320 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


and her ladies; so, also, Lady Yvette tried to be 
gay; but her gayety was forced. Her heart, too, 
was heavy, for disappointment weighed it down. 
A knight’s fancy soon roamed. Since seizing the 
treasures of La Tayac, he had no longer desire for 
Bocasse. Other maids there were in plenty as fair 
as she, and no doubt there was one more desirable 
in the eyes of the Gascon Knight. 

Each tried to conceal the disappointment caused 
by the other. Each tried to entertain and to appear 
to be entertained. Each succeeded so well that each 
deceived the other. After dinner they repaired to 
the perron, where spiced wine was brought, and the 
Lady Yvette challenged the knight to a game of 
chess, while the other ladies and gentlemen amused 
themselves in their several ways. When the sun 
was sinking in the west, they walked in the orchard 
under flowering fruit trees, for it was now spring in 
the south of France. 

Later the moon shone out, lyres were produced and 
there was singing to their soft accompaniment, — 
such a delightful time and opportunity for lovers! 
Yet true love had made Sir Gaston modest, and what 
was plain to the others was hidden from them most 
concerned. How fair Lady Yvette appeared in the 
soft light of the spring moon, how desirable ! Her 
nearness was distracting. Sir Gaston felt he could 
endure it no longer, he must go away and forget ! 
Never before had woman held him so; in fact, no 


AT BOCASSE ONCE MORE. 


321 


woman had pleased him long save the one whom, 
do as he would, he could not succeed in pleasing. 
Of all these things he was thinking as he sat near 
the Maid of Bocasse, who, in spite of her proximity, 
was so unapproachable. Though vowing to himself 
he could not endure the situation another moment, 
when the lady said the hour was late and she must 
withdraw, he longed to detain her. How gladly 
would she have been detained ! Instead, she with- 
drew to her apartment, not to sleep, but to pass the 
night lying on her bed with wide open eyes, smart- 
ing under the shame of being as she thought repulsed 
by the man she loved. Yet, despite her slighted 
love, her heart was filled with gratitude toward Sir 
Gaston for ridding the earth of him who was her 
humiliation so long as he lived. Those were times 
of less nicety in moral distinctions. Honor was more 
than life ; still, the idea of what constitutes honor 
varies with the age. It is that which the consensus 
of opinion holds to be admirable, and in all stages of 
civilization man seeks the admiration of his fellows. 

To Lady Yvette death alone could efface the in- 
jury done her outraged young womanhood by Sir 
Hugh’s cowardly threat. Had it not been for Sir 
Gaston, Bocasse would not now have been hers, 
neither would Sir Bertrand have succeeded in his 
attack on St. Brice without Sir Gaston’s timely ar- 
rival; therefore, to him she owed also her rescue 
from the robber’s castle. Last of all, and least to 
21 


322 


THE MAH) OP BOCASSE. 


Lady Yvette, he had saved her life, unwittingly 
though it might be, in his desire to avenge himself 
on the Eed Knight for injury done one dearer than 
himself. Who might such a one be? Was it man 
or woman ? If woman, it explained his present in- 
difference to Bocasse and its chatelaine. 

Thus the night passed in a whirl of torturing 
thought. When morning came, as soon as the ser~ 
viteurs were stirring, she dressed herself for riding 
and went below. Attended by two grooms, she gal- 
loped hard and far, as if seeking to outrun thought, 
though it was scarcely safe for her to go so far from 
the castle without an armed escort. 

Neither did Sir Gaston sleep. His determination 
was taken long before the coming of dawn. He 
would depart from Bocasse at once. By making the 
journey in easy stages he could reach the home of 
his childhood, and there among his own serviteurs re- 
cover his strength and be ready to offer his services to 
his king. He would go northward and visit the court 
of King Charles, and there perhaps learn to forget. 

He sent to the chatelaine in the morning and 
begged leave to bid her farewell, but was told the 
lady had already gone abroad. When the dinner 
hour came and passed and madame did not return, 
he sought Nurse Alinore and asked to leave a mes- 
sage for her lady. 

“ It would be better for messire to give his own 
messages,” replied the old woman. 




AT BOCASSE ONCE MORE. 323 

“ But I cannot see her, and I must depart within 
the hour if I would start this day.” 

“ Would messire leave Bocasse without taking leave 
of its lady personally? Surely would she be grieved 
and with just cause.” 

“ It grieves me still more to see her and speak 
with her and hold her hand to my lips and feel that 
she cares naught for me,” he answered, dejectedly. 

“Has messire spoken?”. 

“ Of what use ? Does not her every word and ac- 
tion show that she holds me as but one who has 
served her well ? ” 

“Madame is indeed deeply grateful to messire,” 
suggested Nurse Alinore. 

“I care naught for her gratitude.” 

“ May not gratitude inspire love ? ” 

“Tell me, good nurse, does the lady favor an- 
other? ” 

''HelhSy I know not. Much has her manner dis- 
comfited me since her return from St. Brice.” 

“ How doth her manner affect thee ? ” 

“ As the manner of one in love, but who would 
conceal the fact.” 

“ Then is there no chance for me ! ” he said. 

“ Still, messire might ask. It will be of satisfac- 
tion later, even though the answer be not favorable.” 

“ Speak for me, good nurse, and I will defer my 
departure yet another day.” 

“Indeed will I, messire, if madame will permit.” 


CHAPTER XXIV. 


CONCLUSION. 

The early dinner was over when Lady Yvette re- 
turned, so she had bread and wine brought to her 
apartment. Xurse Alinore took the light refresh- 
ment to her young mistress, thinking to use the op- 
portunity to plead the knight's cause. But Lady 
Yvette was in no mood for talking. After she had 
sipped her wine and eaten a little of the bread, she 
said: 

" Come, good nurse, loosen my hair and brush it. 
I would sleep, for my canter has wearied me and 
made me drowsy.” 

“First would I have a few words with thee,” said 
Nurse Alinore, as she unbraided the beautiful luxu- 
riant tresses of the young chatelaine. 

“Be brief, then, my good nurse, else will this 
sleepiness pass.” 

It was not a propitious moment, still Nurse Ali- 
nore thought to venture on her delicate mission. 

“ Messire d’ Ambricicourt hath been seeking thee, 
chericy to bid thee good-by. He says he must depart 
on the morrow at the latest.” 

“So soon,” murmured Lady Yvette, her heart 


CONCLUSION. 


325 


sinking. "His strength seems scarcely yet equal to 
a journey.” She pretended to try to stifle a yawn. 

" So I told him, madame. Then he talked much 
with me.” 

" He can talk with my nurse, but not with me. 
She knows more of his affairs than I,” was Lady 
Yvette’s quick conclusion, which, like most quick 
conclusions, was not altogether correct. “ If he 
would I should know of his affairs, he would tell 
me himself,” she said aloud. "Now leave me, for I 
would sleep, else will I not be able to hold my eyes 
open this evening.” 

Lady Yvette did not sleep; her heart was too 
sore. At supper time she appeared even more beau- 
tiful than ever, it seemed to the knight, to whom 
the lady grew fairer every day. 

"You were seeking me, my lord,” she said, half 
questioningly. 

" Yes, madame, to tell you that I have accepted 
too long of your hospitality.” 

" I fear our welcome has been lacking, my lord, to 
make you say that.” 

" In very truth, no, madame. Never was knight 

treated more ” he stopped — graciously was what 

he meant to say; but was it gracious to inspire love 
only to deny it ? 

Fortunately he was saved the necessity of finish- 
ing his sentence, for at that moment an attendant 
appeared : 


326 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“Madame is served.” 

Together they went into the supper room. Neither 
lady nor knight was as entertaining as usual, both 
were thinking it would be the last time they supped 
together. 

As it was the custom of the ladies and gentlemen 
of the household to promenade in the orchard in the 
early evening of these soft spring days, Lady Yvette 
felt it would be too marked for her to stay within 
that night, so she led the way to the pleasure grounds 
under the shadow of the walls, with Sir Gaston on 
one side and one of her women on the other. The 
conversation was fitful; none found much to say. 
Sir Gaston was longing for a word alone with the 
lady, and was thinking how he might procure it, for 
etiquette was such that he was never alone with her. 
It must be by some ruse if he would succeed in 
evading the attendant. At that very moment there 
came a shower of fruit blossoms from the tree under 
which they were passing. Looking up, they saw 
Sir Eaimond’s handsome boyish face peering down 
roguishly at them from its branches. Sir Gaston 
stopped. 

“Pluck me two branches of the fairest blossoms 
thou canst find, my good Kaimond,” he cried, “for 
the two fairest and sweetest of ladies.” 

Eaimond complied; but instead of tossing both 
sprays to Sir Gaston, he retained one of them, and 
slipping to the ground, presented it to the demoiselle 


CONCLUSION. 


327 


who attended Lady Yvette, for whom he felt a great 
admiration. That proceeding mightily pleased Sir 
Gaston, for, while Sir Eaimond was engaging the 
attention of the other lady, he gradually led Lady 
Yvette into a side path, she being apparently too 
listless to notice that the attendant was not with 
her. 

When out of earshot of every one but his compan- 
ion, Sir Gaston said : 

“Tis our last walk together, madame.” 

Lady Yvette started, saying, after a brief pause: 

“ I fear you are in too great haste to leave us for 
your own good, my lord.” 

“’Tis for my good I must be going,” he an- 
swered. 

To this Lady Yvette could think of no suitable 
reply till the time had passed for making one. 

“I owe you more than I can ever repay,” he added 
as she did not speak. 

“ No, my lord ; the debt is mine. Have you not 
saved my castle and my life ? ” 

“And is it not to the White Knight I owe my 
liberty, aye, my life ? Had it not been for your ar- 
rival I should have long since died.” 

“To Eaimond, my lord.” 

“Nay, madame; Eaimond did much, and I bless 
him for it, and shall try to requite him ; but whose 
was the scheme that effected my rescue? Whose 
also was the device that saved me at Eoncesvalles ? ” 


328 


THE MAID OP BOCASSE. 


Again Lady Yvette was silent. 

“I cannot but deem myself honored above all 
knights that so fair a lady has attempted so much 
for my sake.” 

“I owed you so much, my lord.” 

“ Yes, yes, madame, I understand. It is not nec- 
essary to remind me so often that gratitude alone 
prompted your efforts in my behalf.” His tone was 
almost angry. “ I would there were less gratitude^ 
and more ” 

“More what, my lord? ” came faintly from Lady 
Yvette ; but Sir Gaston was heaving such a deep 
sigh at the perverseness of fate that he did not catch 
her words. Lady Yvette did not repeat her ques- 
tion, so they walked on in silence till they came to 
the end of the alUe, where Sir Gaston turned back 
again instead of taking the path that would have led 
him to the rest of the company. 

“ I wished to bid you farewell alone, madame ; to- 
morrow’s parting will be public.” 

Lady Yvette gave a sidelong glance up into his 
face. What did he have to say to her that he could 
not say before all the world? Evidently nothing, 
for he walked by her side in apparent self-absorp- 
tion. He was feeling all the while that he could 
not leave Bocasse without telling its lady that he 
still loved her. It would at least make her think of 
him when he was gone. But how could be speak of 
earthly love to a beautiful statue as unapproachable 


CONCLUSION. 


329 


as that of a fair saint enshrined over the portal of 
some cathedral! 

And all the while Lady Yvette was thinking how 
flat life would seem after the morrow. 

By this time they had reached the other end of 
the alUe. Again Sir Gaston turned, Lady Yvette 
passively following. The two seemed greatly 
changed ; for where was the former audacity of the 
maid and the usual effrontery of the knight? 

The moon ascended higher, and Sir Gaston could 
see the curls that the soft night wind blew about the 
fair face beside him. 

“The air is sweet, the weather bids to be fair,” re- 
marked Lady Yvette at length. 

“ After to-night, no night will be sweet, nor any 
day fair,” replied the knight dejectedly. 

Again Lady Yvette gave that sidelong glance, and 
there stole a soft smile about the redjips, and a soft 
light flashed from the blue eyes that was not a re- 
flection of the moonlight. 

“And why may they not be? ” she asked, crush- 
ing the spray of blossoms between her fingers. 

“ The light of my life will be swallowed up in the 
shadows of night,” he replied, with a sigh that again 
attested the soundness of his lungs. 

“Another may arise,” she suggested. 

“There is no light for me save the one that I’m 
losing. ” 

“ Then it is not already gone ? ” 


330 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


“Aye; for I never possessed it.” 

Lady Yvette found it difficult to afford the com- 
fort evidently expected of her on such vague infor- 
mation. 

Just then came a shout : “ Holh ! Hoik 1 ” 

“We are wanted,” said Lady Yvette. Then Sir 
Gaston seized her by the arm and, turning her 
toward him, demanded in tones more authoritative 
than wooing: 

“ Tell me why thou art so cruelly sweet and so 
coldly cruel ? ” 

She did not answer immediately, but stood look- 
ing up at him from under her lowered lids, while a 
little mocking smile curved her lips. Sir Gaston’s 
face was dark ; but as the knight’s scowl grew deeper, 
the lady’s smile grew softer. 

They stood so near together that Sir Gaston’s 
breath stirred her hair, but she made no attempt to 
withdraw. 

“Why dost thou ever repulse me?” he cried. 
“ Thou drawest me to thee with one hand and push- 
est me from thee with the other ! ” 

“ That is because, my lord ” she paused. 

“Why is it?” In his almost angry impatience 
Sir Gaston came very near shaking her. 

“ It is because, my lord, — because — thou wilt not 
be drawn with both.” 

He started and looked more closely into the be- 
witching face that was regarding him with so soft a 


CONCLUSION. 


331 


light in the eyes and the half-loving, half-mocking 
smile upon the lips. Then the moon shone out clear 
and full, and the veil was lifted from his eyes, and 
he read in that lovely face all that was in that lov- 
ing heart. 

And so the farewell was not spoken. The lady 
had been the first to discover the cross purposes at 
which they had been playing, and again had come 
to the rescue of her own true knight. 

* * * * * * 

And thus ended the story of the Maid of Bocasse, 
who was soon no longer a maid, but a wife, and later 
the mother of a fine family of children. Sir Gaston 
won high renown as a warrior, and became the pos- 
sessor of other rich fiefs ; for he fought under the 
standard of Sir Bertrand, whose arms were victorious 
till death stopped short his career. Eaimond also 
made a name for liimself ; while Joli-coeur, though 
never again able to stand upon his feet after the ter- 
rible ordeal through which he had passed during his 
imprisonment at St. Brice, lived for many years an 
honored and cherished servitor of the lady for whom 
he had suffered so much, enlivening many a win- 
ter’s afternoon with his marvellous tales. 

The loss of his eldest son had so impaired the al- 
ready failing health of the Black Prince that he did 
not live many years after his return to England, 
dying in London, July 8, 1376, greatly lamented by 
the English people, who had been looking forward 


332 


THE MAID OF BOCASSE. 


with great expectations to his accession to the throne, 
when it should please Providence to remove his 
father, Edward III. His chivalric virtues, his mag- 
nificence, his munificence, above all the success that 
had ever attended his arms, had greatly endeared him 
to the English people ; while his courtesy, liberality, 
and affability, attracted to him all with whom he was 
associated, foe as well as friend. Though obstinate 
in purpose, inflexible in judgment, stern, even cruel, 
in anger, his virtues far outbalanced his faults; 
though liberal with gold taken from his subjects, 
with no thought for the lowly and poor, both his 
virtues and failings were those of the age in which 
he lived, — that much- vaunted Age of Chivalry. 

The character of Sir Bertrand du Guesclin, the 
other illustrious knight of that period, does not ap- 
peal to the imagination so strongly as that of his 
contemporary, but his virtues were no less promi- 
nent, while his sympathies were broader, for they 
included the poor and the weak. He always warned 
his men never to make war on the poor, women, or 
children, and in his sympathy for the people of 
France he was exceeded only by the heroic Maid of 
Orleans, who gave up her life on account of the love 
she had for “the poor people of France.” Sir Ber- 
trand died July 4, 1380, leaving a young widow, his 
second wife; and to her, fifty years later, Jeanne 
d’Arc sent the ring she wore as a girl to testify the 
veneration she felt for the memory of him who had 


CONCLUSION. 


333 


tried to expel the English invader and oppressor, and 
to save France for the French. 

Edward III. died in 1377, a year after the death 
of his illustrious son, and was succeeded by the lit- 
tle son of the Black Prince, the weak and unfortu- 
nate Bichard II. During the boy king’s minority 
Charles V., King of France, hoped to recover all that 
the English had wrested from his father, but the 
death of Sir Bertrand and of himself that year de- 
feated his purpose. 

Then followed the reign of the mad king, Charles 
VI. of France, which, as Sully remarks in his me- 
moirs, was so pregnant of sinister events, — the grave 
of good laws and morals in France. 



























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